Found
by chrisbec
Summary: A Lexark Tale Before they can embark on the Abigail, Alicia gets separated from her group and stumbles upon someone's stash of junkfood. She wakes to find Elyza, all black leather & weapons, glaring at her with a knife in her hand. Together they unite to make a stand against the Under-Grounders who have captured Nick. A FTWD version of season 2 of t100, only w/ humor & flirty fun
1. Chapter 1: You're the One

FOUND

1

"You're the One"

Alicia was paralyzed. She tried to open her mouth. She tried to scream. But the sound caught in her throat like smoke, thick and acrid, choking her. Her cheeks burned under the heat of her own tears and her own blood, and the monster's breath.

Alicia wriggled desperately under the weight of the monster, both palms shoved upward against his chin, struggling to keep his snapping jaws at bay. But the monster was relentless in his hunger. Alicia felt her clawing fingernails break through the tender skin where chin meets neck, felt her fingers delve into flesh and sinew. And still, the monster kept coming. He wanted her. And she knew he would have her. She was pinned. She was trapped. Death had finally caught her.

Alicia stared into the monster's lifeless eyes. _No,_ she thought. _Not lifeless._ They were not dull or dead. They were bright and alive with hunger. _Not lifeless... Soulless._ They bored into her and she stared back into their abyss. She supposed she should be terrified. And she was afraid. But mostly she was sad. Because this was not how she had pictured her death. She had hoped that when Death came for her, he would come dressed as green leaves fluttering against white clouds floating in a blue sky. She had hoped he would come gently like the perfume of blossoms on a summer breeze. That he would wrap his arms around her tenderly like a lover and steal her away swift and soft as a stolen kiss.

But Death, it seemed, was no more kind than Life. And as he bore down on her, Alicia could do nothing but shut her eyes and wait for his teeth to sink into her, to tear into her cheek and rip her lips from her, to rip her life from her.

But the monster's teeth did not meet her flesh. Instead, she felt the gentle pressure of lips, soft and warm, against her lips lingered for a moment that seemed both eternal and utterly too brief. Alicia opened her eyes in mixed surprise and disappointment as they pulled away. She barely had the time to register a beautiful face... eyes the color of the ocean on a cloudless day, wild hair the color that sand ought to be when the sun bounces off of it and burns your pupils and leaves you momentarily blinded by its brilliance.

Then the pain hit her like a knife to the gut. Her belly was on fire. _No,_ her belly wasn't _on fire._ Her belly _was_ the fire. The fire was within her and was consuming her from the inside out. Instinctively, Alicia's hands groped for the source of the pain, only to find two hands, wet and trembling, already pressed against her stomach. Alicia pulled her own hands back and her breath caught in her chest. Her fingers were covered in blood, blood that was ink-black, dark as the city on those rare nights when the power would go out and she could catch a glimpse of the stars shining in the blackness.

Alicia stared in confusion at the darkness, so lost in wonder that she almost forgot her pain, even as it wracked over her convulsing body. A moment passed before she realized the beautiful face floating above her was speaking to her. She blinked, trying to focus on the girl's face, trying to make sense of her words. But her voice was like a whisper lost in the raging wind. Alicia watched as a fat tear broke free of the girl's lashes. She felt it plop warm and wet on her own cheek, where it mingled with her own tears. Alicia had never known pain like the fire in her belly, yet somehow it hurt her far more to see this girl cry. Her tears made Alicia ache somewhere deep inside, somewhere deeper than her skin or organs or bones. And that ache was more than she could bear. Alicia could feel the girl's hands pressing against the fire in her belly. She knew the girl was trying to hold her together. But Alicia was already breaking apart.

...

Alicia opened her eyes to light all around. Her heart was racing, her breathing fast, heavy, and uneven. Her cheeks were wet with moisture. She reached for her belly, expecting hot blood and a fleshy hole, only to find it smooth and the fire in her belly was subsiding into the dull ache of hunger. Relief washed over her as her breathing and heart rate slowed. And as always, shame followed close behind.

 _Another nightmare._ She told herself, half scolding, half reassuring herself. _Just another damn nightmare._ Ever since she was little she had been plagued by them. But some things intensified them. She still remembered how after watching _Chainsaw Massacre_ at her first scary movie sleep-over, she hadn't been able to sleep for a year. It was pathetic... 11 years old, and she woke up most nights screaming and in tears as her mother, puffy-eyed and groggy, gently shook her awake. Alicia could hear the echo of her mother's voice now, "Hey... hey... it's OK. You're OK."

But her mother wasn't with her now. No one was. And so, ashamed of her own childishness, Alicia whispered the words to herself. "It's OK. You're OK." The words chased the details of the nightmare from Alicia's mind, obscuring them until she could remember nothing of the monster's soulless eyes, or the girl's tears spilling down her face, or her own blood, black as night spilling from her stomach. She remembered not the feeling of terror or of pain. All that lingered now was the ache that the worst nightmares sometimes left her with, that piercing ache in her chest that made it hard to breathe. _No,_ not in her chest. Somewhere _deeper_ still. It was the place that throbbed when she thought of her father's laughter crinkling his kind eyes. The place that had throbbed while she carved the spiraling heart into her arm, wishing the needle's point was the gentle stroke of Matt's sharpie. It was a place of missing. It was a place of longing. It was a place of pain both terrible and sweet.

Alicia closed her eyes against the pain, waiting for it to fade, whispering to herself again and again, "It's OK. You're OK." And she tried to believe her words, even as she could taste the lie like bile on her tongue. She had awoken from one nightmare, only to find herself right back in the nightmare she had left behind. Nothing was OK. She was not OK. Her life was a nightmare. She could find no solace in sleep. And she found even less solace in waking.

"So..." An unfamiliar voice from behind her sent Alicia's pounding heart into her throat. She was not alone after all. Terrified, she startled into a sitting position, struggling against the jumbled pile of child-sized blankets entangling her, and turned to find the source of the voice.

A young woman sat not five feet from her, casually leaning against a desk on which the nameplate "Ms. Keller" still stood beside a pile of papers neatly stacked beneath a glass paperweight in the shape of an apple. The girl was dressed all in shades of black, from the skull-patterned bandanna struggling to control her wild blond hair, to the leather jacket, down to the thick combat boots crossed casually in front of her. She looked so out of place in this classroom that Alicia's initial fear and surprise almost immediately gave way to an insane desire to laugh. But the girl, who Alicia now realized had been watching her sleep, did not seem amused. Alicia could see the double barrels of a shotgun peeking out from behind the girl's back.

"You're the one..." the girl spoke in an angry foreign drawl Alicia didn't recognize, "Who ate three of my moon pies."

 _Moon pies?_ Alicia thought to herself, once again fighting the absurd desire to laugh. The entire world had gone to shit. The living were dying. The dead were living. And in the middle of it all, this girl was upset about the fate of a few _moon pies_? The laughter was building inside her. She could feel the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. But as her eyes fell upon the girl's hands, she wiped away any inkling of a smile from her face.

The girl was wearing black motorcycle gloves, the leather ripped at the knuckles to expose her fingertips. And in her gloved hands she held a long, sharp blade, the kind of blade Alicia imagined Bear Grilles might carry around. The kind that was perfect for gutting a deer or stabbing through an infected's skull or _slitting a stranger's throat_. The girl played with the blade casually, turning it in her hands, fingering its point with her dirty fingertips, all the while eyeing Alicia with a look of distrust. Her eyes, surrounded by a thick outline of black liner, were narrowed in accusation as they studied Alicia's face and then dropped, fixing on Alicia's chest.

Confused, Alicia followed the girl's gaze. There, stuck to her blood-stained and dirt-streaked flannel shirt like a scarlet letter, was a moon pie wrapper in all of its shiny cellophane glory. Alicia felt her cheeks grow hot as she quickly brushed the wrapper from her shirt, leaving a messy streak of melted chocolate against the dirty blue flannel. The wrapper came to rest on the floor beside her, where it became exhibit one of the evidence against her.

Alicia knew she was guilty. She remembered finding the stash of junk food piled neatly beside the makeshift bed of foam mats and kid-sized blankets she supposed were once used for kindergarten nap-time. She remembered hesitating at the sight, giving out a small "hello?" that echoed through the empty classroom, her soft voice ricocheting off the rows of miniature desks and tiny chairs. She remembered sitting on the big, ugly rug in the corner, she supposed had probably been used for story time, but had now become someone's sanctuary. She remembered eyeing the pile and thinking she should leave. And she remembered the way the first moon pie's wrapper had glinted in the light as she reached out and plucked it from the pile. She remembered thinking she would only eat one... _only one_ , then she would go. She remembered all of it... Except for the falling asleep part. That hadn't been part of the plan.

Now she found herself still on that ugly maroon rug, surrounded not only by three moon pie wrappers, but also the crinkled shiny remnants of two bags of Ranch Doritos, a king-sized Kit Kat bar, two empty Slim Jim sleeves, and a whole rainbow of scattered Starburst wrappers. Oh... Not to mention two empty bottles of purple Gatorade, _Frost_ _Riptide Rush._ Alicia was guilty, there was no denying it. She had been caught red-handed and the evidence was all around her.

She swallowed hard under the girl's gaze. She knew she should apologize. _Open your mouth and apologize,_ she told herself. But Alicia was never good at apologizing. She wasn't good with words in general. And, smart as she was, her mouth was always smarter. So, before she could think better of it, the words were already escaping her lips.

"You're the one..." She replied in a voice she already knew was far too sassy, "who left them out where anyone could find them."

At her words, the young woman sat up, stopped stroking her knife's edge, and leaned in closer to Alicia, driving the blade's tip right through the first moon pie's wrapper and into the ugly rug beneath them. She pulled the blade from the rug and raised it between her and Alicia so that the moon pie's skewered wrapper dangled from its tip. She cocked her head slightly, her eyes narrowing even further, her gaze falling on Alicia's face, hot as the L.A. sun in the peak of summer.

Alicia swallowed hard again, holding the stranger's gaze, trying her best to not let this girl see how intimidated she was. _Open your mouth and apologize,_ she thought again.

"I leave for three hours... _Three_ goddamn hours..." The girl snarled. "And what do I find? A bloody scabber curled up in my cache like a little raccoon in its nest. Only this isn't _your_ nest, is it, girl? I've got you stonkered like a shag on a rock. Do you have an explanation for me, you thieving, little raccoon?"

Alicia bit her lip nervously. She didn't understand half of what this strange girl was saying. But her tone was dangerous. _Open your mouth and apologize._ She commanded herself. _Damn it Alicia, open your mouth and apologize._

"I was hungry." Alicia answered, with a casual shrug of the shoulders, her voice defensive and still far too sassy. _What the hell is wrong with you?_ She asked herself. _Do you_ _ **want**_ _this crazy, moon-pie obsessed, goth girl to stab you in the throat?_ Alicia watched as the girl's grip on the knife handle tightened. Her intensely blue eyes bored into Alicia's. _Shit, Alicia... Apologize,_ Alicia pleaded with herself. _Apologize now! Do it!_

"I.." Alicia stammered softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm sorry."

At her words, the girl's expression softened slightly. She leaned back and cocked her head to the other side, the hint of a smile or a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.

"You were _hungry_..." She echoed Alicia's words, her own voice now tinged with sass. She pulled the skewered wrapper from the tip of her knife and eyed it for a moment before flicking it towards Alicia. "Clearly. That much is obvious as dogs' balls, Coon girl, judging by the fact that you helped yourself to nearly half of my stash. _Hungry_..." she repeated, her foreign drawl dragging the word out into three long syllables. "Of course you were hungry. You are alive. And the _living..._ the _living_ are always hungry." She paused thoughtfully, eyeing her blade as she began fiddling with it again. "But then again, nowadays the _dead_ are hungry too."

She looked up from her blade to eye Alicia again. But the hot fury that had burned in her eyes seconds ago had now been replaced by a mixture of cool indifference, mild anger, and perhaps, a hint of curiosity. "I'm not one to give away free meals." She spoke. "Not to the dead. Not to the living."

The girl set her blade in her lap and pulled off her right glove to expose a layer of dirty gauze wrapped around her palm, the white stained here and there by red blood and black grime. "That shit house vending machine put up a fight. Cut my fuckin' hand open getting those bloody moon pies. Seems to me, you owe me, Little Raccoon."

"I said I was sorry." Alicia argued. "I was starving and I stumbled upon a pile of junk food. What would you have had me do? I only did what anyone would've done. Its probably what _you_ would have done."

" _I_ don't steal." The girl countered.

"But you did." Argued Alicia. "You stole this food from a vending machine before I stole it from you."

"I don't steal from _people_." The girl corrected. "Especially people who are stronger than I am. Look at you... You are tiny... Unarmed... I make you look weak."

Alicia bristled at the insult. She was lean, sure, but she was 5 foot 7... hardly _tiny_. And she wasn't unarmed. Well, OK, _technically_ she was unarmed at the moment, as her baseball bat was still where she had stupidly left it propped up against the other side of Ms. Keller's desk. But normally she was armed. And she certainly wasn't _weak_. If she was _weak_ she never would have made it this far. She wasn't _weak,_ she was a _survivor_. And who was this girl to tell her any differently?

Alicia stood, the blankets and candy wrappers cascading from her lap onto the floor around her. The girl rose to meet her, holding her gaze, her left hand still gripping the knife. Alicia took a step towards her.

"I'm not weak." She spat, her voice cracking embarrassingly in her anger. She could feel her cheeks blushing, but she forged on anyway. "I'm a survivor. I do what I must to survive. That is who I am. So... If you are going to kill me, get on with it. Otherwise, go eff yourself. Because I am leaving."

The girl took a step closer to Alicia, and in a flash of her arm, raised her blade to Alicia's throat. Alicia froze, but did not back up. She forced herself to hold the girl's gaze. Her blue eyes burned into Alicia's, but Alicia refused to look away, refused to even blink.

Then suddenly, the girl let out a bark of laughter and a giant smirk crossed her face, wrinkling the corners of her eyes. She lowered the blade and sheathed it at her hip, laughing at the confusion on Alicia's face.

"I'm not gonna kill you over a bloody moon pie, Little Raccoon." She laughed. Then, stepping aside to clear the path to the classroom door, she added, "You're free to go. Go home to your mum, Little Raccoon."

Alicia hesitated, still confused by the girl's sudden laughter. Then, with a pout and what she hoped was a dignified huff, she pushed past the girl and snagged her baseball bat, crossing the classroom and heading for the door without a word.

"Of course..." The girl spoke as Alicia reached for the handle, "you do know that it will be dark soon, right? Night is coming. And the dead don't rest."

Alicia hesitated again, staring at her fingers wrapped around the door handle. "You could head out into the night," continued the girl's drawling voice, "alone... with your... er... _baseball bat_ and your _I'm a survivor mentality_." Alicia could hear the stifled laughter in the girl's voice. She could feel herself bristling again as her grip tightened on the doorknob.

"Or... I have a better idea..." The girl continued, her voice growing surprisingly soft, almost kind. "You could wait out the darkness here."

Slowly, reluctantly, Alicia turned to face the girl. She was leaning against Ms. Keller's desk, looking relaxed, even comfortable. "There are more mats and blankets in there." She said, waving her bandaged hand lazily in the direction of a large supply closet. "You could make yourself your own little nest, Little Raccoon." She teased, pushing off the desk and stepping towards Alicia. "And I suppose," she added, pausing at a child's desk halfway across the room and reaching for a large black sack Alicia hadn't noticed propped in the chair behind the desk. She opened the sack and upturned it, allowing its contents to spew onto the desk in a rush of metal clangs and thuds. "Since you are living, and you are hungry..."

Alicia watched as a can of tuna spiraled off the desk, clunked off the edge of the chair, and slowly rolled its way towards her, finally coming to rest with a soft thud against her sneaker. She bit her lip and wriggled her jaw, thinking. The decision was obvious. She knew what the smart thing to do was. She knew what she should do to survive. But she hesitated a moment longer, not wanting this girl to see her relief. Not wanting this girl to see her eagerness. Not wanting this girl to see her gratitude. Not wanting this girl to see her weakness.

Finally, she let out an exaggerated sigh, released her hold on the doorknob, and bent over to retrieve the can of tuna.

"I suppose," She said begrudgingly, "I could stay... just until morning, anyway. Seeing as it is safer in numbers and all. I mean... its safer for the both of us if I stay."

"Right," the girl replied with a laugh, "for the both of us. I mean... I've got a double-barreled shotgun, a 9mm glock, an eight-inch serrated hunting knife, a small, but trusty pocket knife, steel-toed boots, pepper spray, and a particularly sharp pair of tweezers... but somehow I didn't think to bring a baseball bat. Stupid me. Good onya for having that covered." She was laughing again, but it was relaxed, easy, not mean-spirited. And to her surprise, Alicia found herself smiling, genuinely smiling, for the first time in a long time.

"Pepper spray?" She asked with a raised brow.

"For the living." The girl answered with a shrug, her grin faltering. "There are worse monsters walking around out there than the dead." She paused, dropping her gaze to stare at her hands, absentmindedly fiddling her bandage as if lost in thought or in a memory. Alicia shivered involuntarily, the hairs on her forearms raising with goosebumps as the girl continued in a quiet, hollow voice. "The _dead_ dead are gone. The _living_ dead are hungry. But the living _living_... they are hungrier still."

An awkward moment of chilly silence engulfed the space between them. Alicia couldn't help but wonder what awful memories were passing through this girl's mind. _Who had she already lost? Or perhaps, who had she already killed?_ But an instant later, the girl's demeanor had changed right back into the mysterious combination of sassy confidence and light-hearted indifference.

"But the only hunger I care about right now is my own." She said, reaching into another pocket of her sack and pulling out a small can-opener. "I'm so deadset hungry _I_ could eat a goddamn human carcass right now, living or dead!" She let out another bark of laughter at the disgusted look Alicia fixed her with. "What? Just a little _infected_ humor for you, lighten up Lil' Coon."

Not quite knowing what to do, Alicia watched in awkward silence as the girl tucked the can-opener into her leather belt, gathered as many cans into her arms as possible, and unceremoniously dumped them on the mats beside the remainder of her raided junk food pile. Then she walked over to the supply closet and opened it. Its shelves were loaded with stacks of children's books, boxes of crayons, tubes of glue, and piles of multicolored construction paper all neatly organized and labeled. The girl roughly pulled a rucksack from its hiding place between a stack of foam mats and blankets, knocking over a jar of colored pencils as she hefted it out of the closet. The pencils scattered across the shelf, some falling onto the floor and rolling across the linoleum. The girl paid them no mind, dumping her sack on the rug and proceeding to rummage through it.

Alicia watched as a brick-red pencil came to rest against a chair leg, and she had the strange, irresistible urge to pick it up. She knew it was ridiculous, but she had to do it. She retrieved the red pencil first, then gathered each of the others and put them all neatly back in their jar, their rightful, designated place in this closet. Alicia knew the whole world was a mess. Outside of this classroom, the world was a genuine, certified, shit-show. Alicia didn't have a rightful, designated place in this world anymore. She probably never would again. But these colored pencils still did. It seemed the apocalypse had not yet hit this supply closet and its order, as meaningless as it may be, gave her a small sense of peace.

She straightened the jar and gently closed the closet, turning to find the girl staring at her again, eyebrows raised. She was wearing a judgmental look of puzzled amusement. But Alicia was starting to wonder how much of this girl's face was a mask, because in the soft sadness in her eyes Alicia would have sworn she could detect understanding. Alicia wasn't sure what made her more uncomfortable, the idea that this girl was judging her, or the idea that she somehow understood what Alicia was feeling without a single word spoken.

"I'm sure Ms. Keller would be happy to know her colored pencils are all safe and accounted for." The girl laughed, her words dripping with sarcasm. "That is, if Ms. Keller hasn't already been eaten alive. Speaking of eating... Are you gonna join me or what?" She asked, plopping down on the pile of mats beside her haul of food. "Plonk down, Little Coon."

"I still can't believe you fuckin' ate all my moon pies." She muttered as she pulled a stubby candle from her rucksack and placed it on the ugly rug beside her. "And all my fuckin' Starbursts too!" She added, pulling another candle out and placing it beside the first. Thinking it best to bite her sassy tongue, Alicia sat down silently on the other side of the food pile opposite the strange young woman, not wanting to be too close to her. "You're just lucky you chose the Doritos and the Kit-Kat bar." The girl added, pulling a third and fourth candle from her sack. "If you had flogged my Sun Chips... Or my last Mars Bar... Well, I would have _had_ to slit your throat for _that_. Out of honor and the principle of the matter, if nothing else."

"What about your Milky Way?" Alicia asked with a teasing laugh, as the girl reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a silver lighter with a faded skull emblazoned on it.

"Milky Way?" The girl asked, looking up in confusion in the middle of lighting the first candle. "I thought I ate my last Milky Way bar days ago. Did you fossick up a Milky Way?"

Alicia couldn't help but laugh at the girl's wide, hopeful eyes."No. It was just a joke."

The look of excitement on the girl's face vanished, replaced by blank confusion.

"You just seem to have a thing for space." Alicia explained, suddenly wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. " _Moon_ pies, _Sun_ chips, _Star_ bursts, and _Mars_ bars..."

The girl continued staring blankly. Alicia felt her cheeks growing warm. "It's... well... They're all space related... So, I thought... Milky way... You know what? Never mind. It was a bad joke." She stammered, feeling like a complete idiot. _Why the hell was she so flustered, anyway_? She wondered. The girl was still staring at her, her brilliant blue eyes making Alicia's face burn. She had to turn away from the glare. She looked to the pile of cans and quickly selected the nearest one.

"Mind if I eat these... uhhh..." She glanced at the label. Peas... _Fantastic..._ Just effing _Fantastic. "_ Peas?" she finished, lamely.

The girl just glared at her. "Are they _space_ peas?" She asked with a sarcastic smirk. She pulled her can-opener from her belt and tossed it at Alicia. "Bog in. Just don't touch my Sun Chips or my damn Mars Bar, alright? Otherwise help yourself."

Alicia began prying open the can as the girl reached into her sack and pulled out yet another candle, tilting its wick over the first candle until it caught flame. Alicia caught the faint scent of peaches in the air.

"So, did you raid a Bed, Bath, and Beyond or what?" Alicia asked with a laugh. "That's a lot of candles, isn't it?"

"I don't like the dark." The girl answered simply, cocking her head and eyeing Alicia as if daring her to laugh. Alicia didn't laugh. She didn't like the dark either. Secretly, she was glad for the excessive amount of candles this girl carried around with her. After a moment, the girl dropped her gaze and went back to her task of lighting the candles. "Just eat your peas and be quiet Lil' Coon."

"My name's not Lil' Coon, you know." Alicia said, prying the lid off the can and taking a swig. The peas were as cold, salty, and mushy as she had feared. Still, she choked them down, grateful to have anything to fill the gnawing pit inside her.

"I figured as much." The girl answered, putting away her lighter and reaching for a can of Stagg's Chili.

 _Damn it, why didn't I grab that can?_ Alicia thought as she chewed another round of mushy peas. Alicia waited for the question, but it never came. She gave the answer anyway. "My name's Alicia."

There was a long awkward pause as the girl pried open her can of chili. Finally she spoke. "Elyza... Elyza Lexa."

 _Lexa?_ Alicia nearly choked on her peas. _Lexa?_ Ever since she was a child, she had loved the name Lexa. She didn't know why. She didn't know of anyone named Lexa. As far as she knew, she had made the name up. But, for whatever reason, it was her favorite name. She had named her first teddy Lexa. Then her first cat. Her first bike. She supposed she should be more creative in her name picking. She tried other names, but somehow she always ended up settling on Lexa. Someday she was going to drive a Lexus named Lexa. Someday she was going to have a daughter named Lexa. Well, at least that had been the plan. Back when there was a plan. Back when she dreamed of college, of becoming something, becoming someone. Back when she dreamed.

"Lexa?" She asked, sputtering and sending a pea flying across the carpet. "Your last name is Lexa?"

"No." The girl answered. "Not Lexaahh, just Lexa."

Alicia looked at the girl, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Yeah... Lexa." She repeated. "That's what I said."

"No." The girl answered again. "You got a couple of 'roos loose in the paddock? Not Lexaahh. Lexa... L. E. X."

"Lex?" Asked Alicia, still confused.

"Yeah..." Answered the girl, obviously growing irritated with Alicia's stupidity. "Lexa. That's what I said."

Alicia laughed. "Sorry... Its just, with your accent, it sounds like Lexa to me."

"It's _my_ bloody name." The girl answered. "I think I know how to pronounce it. L. E. X... Lexa."

Alicia held back the laughter, but couldn't quite wipe away her smile. She had _always_ loved the name. She had spoken it aloud a thousand times. But... maybe it was because of her accent... but somehow... hearing it from this girl's mouth... Well, it was exactly how Alicia had always imagined it should be spoken. It was beautiful. It was _right_.

"Look..." The girl added. "Just call me Elyza alright, Lil' Coon?"

"I told you," Answered Alicia, the irritation in _her_ voice now. "My name's not Lil' Coon. It's Alicia... Alicia Clark."

"Clark?" The girl asked, seemingly just as surprised as Alicia had been only moments ago. "Did you say, Clark?"

"Yeah... Clark... C. L. A. R. K." Answered Alicia, imitating Elyza with a smirk.

Elyza returned the smirk with a look of disdain. "You know... My old man always said, 'Mockery is not the product of a strong mind,' Alicia C. L. A. R. K."

Alicia just laughed and reached for another can from the pile of food. She had had enough of the peas. She glanced down at the label. _Split pea soup... Figures._ She cast that one aside and went instead for the dented can of tuna that had bumped her shoe earlier.

"Clark." Elyza repeated softly, staring thoughtfully into the dancing flame of one of the candles and shaking her head slightly. "Clark."

"Yeah, Clark." Said Alicia, sinking her teeth into a big chunk of Chicken of the Sea. "Why do you care? Nothing special about it. Its not like its some crazy name like Geraveropoulis or something." She sat back, savoring the feeling of food in her tummy, more comfortable and relaxed than she could remember being since before everything had happened, maybe even since before then. She couldn't explain why, but she felt calm around this strange girl. Calm, and... Safe.

"Its just... I had a dog named Clarke when I was little." Elyza explained. "Clarke with an 'e.' My sister said I couldn't name her that 'cause Clarke was a 'boy's' name. But she wanted to name her 'Fish,' so what did she know, right? A husky named _Fish_..." she said, shaking her head with a small nostalgic laugh. "I just..." She paused, as if considering whether or not to say more. "I don't know... I've always liked the name Clarke."

"Weird..." Alicia didn't know whether to laugh or not. "I named my cat Lexa. I've always liked the name Lexa." She admitted.

"What?" Elyza replied. "You're shitting me, right?"

"Nope... Honest to God." Alicia answered. Then, blushing, added, "Might have named my stuffed bear Lexa too. And maybe my bicycle too."

Elyza let out a laugh. "No fuckin' way. I might have named my first skateboard Clarke. And maybe my guitar. And maybe my motorcycle. And maybe this here, double-barreled beaut." She added, giving a tug on the strap of her shotgun.

"Weird." Alicia said again, taking another bite of tuna and staring into the flickering candle flame.

"Yeah, weird." Elyza echoed her. "Weird."

They sat for a moment in silence, munching on their respective meals of cold, canned slop. The light streaming in from the windows was already beginning to dim and Alicia watched the dancing lights of the candle flames slowly growing brighter.

"So..." Elyza broke the quiet, lazily tossing her empty can aside and reaching for a can of sliced peaches. "What's a pretty little spunk like you doing wandering around 50 k's south of Woop Woop all by herself with nothing, and I mean _nothing..._ no food, no extra clothes or supplies, no _respectable_ weapons... In the middle of the bloody end of this god-forsaken world? No offense... But how the hell did you make it this far on your own?"

"I'm not on my own." Alicia answered. "Well, I mean... I _wasn't_ on my own. I got separated."


	2. Chapter 2: Not Alone

2

Not Alone

Alicia shuddered, lost for a moment in her memories. Last night... _Had it only been last night?_ She wondered to herself. It seemed like a lifetime ago... Last night she had awoken from an uneasy sleep to the creaking of floorboards. Terrified, she had strained her ears, her eyes struggling to make sense of the darkness. She could hear the soft, rhythmic breathing of the sleeping bodies piled around her in the unfamiliar living room, her mother, her brother, and the strange makeshift family she had somehow become a part of. After a moment, she had shifted her weight on the leather sofa, convinced she had imagined the creaking floorboards, and was about to settle back into sleep when she had heard it... The soft but distinct jingle of keys, the creak and thud of a door slowly opened and closed. It was not the sound of the infected breaking in, but rather of someone sneaking out.

Quickly, quietly, Alicia had risen to her feet and slipped from the room, stepping out into the cool night air, smelling of salt and ocean. It had been a cloudy night, and with the city lights forever out, the unfamiliar darkness around her was unsettling. Growing up in L.A., she had never known true darkness until now. Nor had she ever known quiet. There was no familiar rumble of passing cars, no honking, no indistinct droning of the neighbor's TV sets, no faceless drunks laughing or shouting, no dogs calling to each other in the night. There was only the distant sound of the ocean meeting the shore.

Then there was the rumble of an engine and the taillights of Travis's truck glowing in the night. Alicia could see Nick's silhouette behind the wheel, already popping the clutch into first gear. She didn't have time to stop him. She didn't have time to climb into the passenger seat. She only had time to grab onto the tailgate as Nick pulled the truck out of the mansion's driveway. Alicia had heaved herself into the bed of the truck only to be tossed back and forth as Nick pulled wildly onto the main road. By the time she had managed to clamber up and smack her palms on the cab's glass, they were well on their way towards the heart of the city.

Nick had slammed on the brakes, throwing Alicia against the cab with a thud. Her thud was followed by a loud clang as one of Travis's baseball bats bounced off her leg and slammed against the side of the truck bed. Nick opened the tiny window behind him and turned in his seat.

"What the hell are you doing?" He had asked Alicia.

"What the hell am _I_ doing?" She had replied. "What the hell are _you_ doing, Nick?"

Nick had dropped his gaze, looking ashamed, and Alicia already knew the answer... He was looking for a fix.

"There's a pharmacy not far into town." He had answered.

"We can't go into town, Nick!" Alicia had replied, her voice rising. "There will be infected everywhere."

"I n _eed_ it, Alicia." Nick had answered, pathetically. "You know I can't get on that boat without it. I _need_ it. I can't... survive... without it."

Alicia had bit her lip, pissed, but conflicted. She knew he was right. They had run out of pills days ago and Nick had been sick since... puking, shaking, sweating uncontrollably. Her mother had refused to let anyone go into the city in search of drugs, arguing that it wasn't safe and that they just needed to give Nick's system time to detoxify itself. But Nick wasn't getting better and she could see his desperation in his wild eyes.

"Please..." he had begged. "Its not far. I'll run in, get what I need, and be back out before anyone even knows we are gone. I'll just get enough to wean myself off slowly. No one needs to know."

Alicia had looked at her brother, his hands shaking, his face covered in a sheen of sweat despite the cool night air. "No." She had answered. "Give me the keys."

Nick's face had dropped, then tightened in anger, but before he could respond, she had cut him off. "I'm driving." She said, her voice firm and final. " _I'll_ run inside. Your ass is staying in the car."

Nick had look resigned and sheepish, but pleased. He pulled the keys from the ignition with a nod and reached through the window. But before Alicia could snatch the keys from his hand, she had heard it... The distinct guttural wheezing, snarling, moaning of the infected. In the red glow of the taillights she saw them... Not one, not two, but an entire group of infected stumbling their way through the darkness towards her.

"Shit!" She had shouted. "Go, Nick. Go!"

Nick had fumbled clumsily with the keys, panic flooding his wild eyes. By the time he got the right key wedged in the ignition, the first of the infected were upon them, groping at the sides of the truck. Alicia had grabbed the baseball bat and stood, taking a swing at the closest one. She could feel the vibration stinging her fingers as the bat met skull with a "crack." She had tightened her grip and reared back for another swing, fighting to keep her balance as Nick threw the truck into gear.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" She heard Nick echoing her as he revved the engine, switching into second. "They're everywhere!"

Nick was right. The infected were everywhere. They were surrounded. _Where the hell had they all come from?_ Alicia had wondered as they wove down the street, weaving in and out of the infected. She watched one, a teenage boy in a backwards baseball cap and a bloodstained Lakers jersey, struggling to hold onto the side of the truck's bed as Nick sped through the street. She had reared back and swung, sending the boy's cap flying through the darkness. The boy had fallen, his body twisting under the truck's back tire just as Nick made a quick swerve to the left, and all of the sudden Alicia had found herself spiraling through the night air. Before she could even process what was happening, the pavement had slammed into her like a linebacker, tearing the air from her lungs and sending her rolling across the ground in a tumbling heap of arms and legs. Alicia had coughed, struggling for breath, disoriented, shaking her head and pushing her aching body onto her hands and knees. But she didn't have long to recover. She could hear them all around her, breathing, moaning.

She had grabbed the baseball bat from where it had rolled up against the curb, and risen to her feet, watching the taillights of Travis's truck disappear down the street. Clearly Nick had not realized she had fallen. She didn't have time to wait for him to notice her absence. She didn't have time to wait for him to come back for her. She had only one option... Run.

Alicia had quickly surveyed her surroundings. She had landed on the corner of an intersection between a Chevron and a 7-11. To the left was a Safeway, to her right a rundown laundromat and a Chinese restaurant with a sign spelling "Happy Good Fourtune." Both directions were blocked by a crowd of staggering infected. The clearest route had been behind her, a dark side street leading into houses. She sprinted down the street, pausing only twice to take swings at two infected blocking her way: a fat, bald man in a dirty suit, blood speckling his checkered tie, and an old wrinkled black woman with gaps in her bared teeth.

Her adrenaline had carried her a good four blocks through the quiet neighborhood before she had realized none of the infected were still following her. She slowed to a walk, trying to catch her breath, trying to figure out how she had suddenly gone from sleeping on an Italian leather sofa, surrounded by family and friends (or if not _friends_... At least _allies_ ) in the comfort of an ocean-front mansion, to wandering an abandoned neighborhood alone in the middle of the night with nothing but a baseball bat and the clothes on her back.

She had waited out the rest of the darkness in an abandoned house. For a while she had tried sleeping, curled up in a stranger's bed. But she had ended up staring instead at the bedside table where there was a happy photo of a man dangling a laughing child by her ankles, a worn leather Bible, a half empty glass of water, a bookmark with "Happy Mother's Day" and a heart scribbled on it in pink marker. This room was full of someone else's memories and she was an intruder. She knew sleep would never come to her here, so she had risen from the bed and instead spent the hours sitting propped against the bedroom door, her baseball bat draped across her knees, rubbing her tired eyes and waiting for the sunrise. It had been the longest, loneliest night of her life.

...

But she wasn't alone anymore. Elyza had paused from slurping her peach slices and was staring at her, waiting for her to elaborate. Alicia wondered how much she should share, how much she _could_ share. She didn't want to think about last night. She didn't want to think about where Nick might be now. She had spent the day carefully walking the neighborhood streets in the direction she guessed, hoped, prayed, was the way back towards the mansion, towards her family, all the while searching for a glimpse of Travis's truck, the sound of an engine. She had dared hope that Nick had made it back to the mansion safely, that her family would be driving the streets in search of her. But the morning had faded into afternoon without Alicia spotting a single human being, a single _living_ human being, that is.

The neighborhood streets had been mostly empty, silent, still. The quiet was not peaceful. It was eerie, and Alicia wondered if she would ever get used to the stillness of this new world. But as the neighborhood streets led her further into city, she had spotted more and more infected wandering ahead, blocking her route. After changing directions a few times to avoid the infected, Alicia, now officially exhausted and disoriented, had wandered across the elementary school with its high fence and ugly cement walls colored here and there by children's drawings in pastel chalk. The grounds seemed empty. Alicia figured the school had been emptied and closed early on in the initial stages of the citywide panic. So, she had slipped through a small opening in the fence, broken a window, and climbed into the school seeking refuge, seeking rest, and finding a pile of moon pies.

"Uhhhh..." Elyza's awkward throat clearing brought Alicia back to the present. "You wanna talk about it, or what?" Elyza asked bluntly.

"No..." Alicia answered. "Not really. I just... I got separated. But I'm not alone. My family..." She paused, swallowing hard, daring to hope. "My family is looking for me right now, I'm sure. They will find me. They will come back for me... I'm not alone." She repeated, as if saying it again and again might make it true.

Elyza just stared at her, her deep blue eyes impossible to read. Alicia could feel herself blushing again under this girl's intense gaze. The way the girl stared, unblinking, unabashedly and unapologetically... It made Alicia feel vulnerable, seen, _known_. As if those blue eyes were staring through her and into her very yet, there was no longer anything threatening about the girl's gaze, as fierce as it was.

Just as Alicia was about to drop her eyes, unable to hold Elyza's gaze any longer, Elyza finally spoke. "No... You are not alone." She said simply, firmly.

Alicia didn't know how to respond. The girl's tone was clear. She was offering Alicia her company, her protection. Alicia had not asked for either. She did not like admitting that she was in need of either. But here was this strange young woman offering both freely. And Alicia was surprised at the rush of relief and gratitude she felt at the girl's words. Surprised, and confused. Because the girl was still staring and Alicia didn't know what to say. And suddenly Alicia's heart was racing and her palms were sweating and the peas in her stomach were turning, and there was no explaining the strange effect this girl had on her.

Finally, she dropped her gaze, absentmindedly spinning the empty tuna can like a top on the rug to break the tension. "What about you?" She asked. "Why are you all alone? Do you have a group?"

Elyza leaned back casually on her elbows and began unwrapping her precious Mars Bar. "Yeah. I got a crew." She answered lazily. "Some mates from school, my mum and her man-friend, others that joined us along the way." She paused to take a bite of her chocolate. "I would do anything for them." She stated, staring into the candle flame and chewing thoughtfully.

Though Elyza tried to hide it, Alicia could detect the darkness in her tone. She wondered what Elyza had already done for the sake of her group. "But," She added, her tone light again as she tore her gaze from the candle and looked at Alicia. "Sometimes I just gotta get away for a while... You know? Get some fresh air. Smell the flowers... Or the rotting carcasses." she laughed.

"Where is your group?" Alicia asked. "Are they close by? Why are you spending the night here, if you have a safe place with them?"

"Like I said... I needed some _space_." Elyza answered with a laugh. Then she studied Alicia as if considering how much to tell her. "I usually don't give out information to strangers about our whereabouts. Sorry... Its just safer that way."

Alicia just shrugged. "Yeah, I get it. We just met. You have no reason to trust me. My group's in a house by the ocean. We were going to get on a boat today. We were going to leave L.A. behind. Take to sea and find somewhere safer. That was the plan anyway."

"Sounds like a ripper plan." Answered Elyza. "Except for one flaw. There is no finding somewhere safer. Its not just L.A. that's gone to shit. Its happening everywhere. You can head north. You can head south. You can head west all the way to the bloody Hawaiian islands. Wherever you dock, there the dead will be, waiting for you."

"You don't know that for sure." Alicia argued, not wanting to believe, not wanting to give up hope, but fearing that Elyza was right. "How could you know that for sure?"

Elyza ignored the question. "Where's your crew's house by the ocean? How far is it from here?"

"I don't know exactly." Alicia answered. "It was dark when I got separated. And I got all turned around today. I don't even know if I was going in the right direction. I know it's not far... If you had a car. But walking, with all the infected wandering around..."

"Walking?" Elyza laughed, shaking her head. "You've been _walking around_ with nothing but a bodgy baseball bat? God, it's a miracle that you are still alive, Lil Coon. Tell you what... Get through tonight without doing anything stupid and getting yourself eaten, and I'll give you a lift back to your group tomorrow."

"A lift?" Asked Alicia, the excitement and hope inside of her growing enough that she wasn't even offended by Elyza's criticism and laughter. "You have a car?"

"A car?" Elyza repeated with a look of disgust. "Of course not. Cars are clunky, dodgy, take way too much petrol. Plus, look at me..." She gave a smirk, unzipping her leather jacket to reveal a tight tank beneath it. Alicia was not surprised that it, too, was black. "I'm way too badass to drive a lame ass car around. I have a Harley, of course."

"Of course." Alicia answered with her own smirk. "My bad... I should have figured as much from your biker get up. I just figured you had a thing for black leather. I mean, how many cows did you have to kill for those pants?"

"Not a single one." Answered Elyza, cooly. "How many lesbians did you have to kill for that god-awful flannel?" She retorted with a wink and a knowing smirk.

Alicia frowned down at her filthy blue flannel, confused, but Elyza just laughed. She took a last bite of her candy bar before tossing the remaining half into Alicia's lap. Then she sat up, pulled off her jacket, and started rummaging through her rucksack again.

"You're just damn lucky your tinny arse stumbled into me, Alicia Clark." She said, drawing out the name as if savoring its taste on her tongue. She pulled out a wadded lump of clothes and tossed it at Alicia. "It's not flannel." She laughed. "But its a hell of a lot cleaner than what you're wearing, ya dirty grub."

"Thanks." Alicia replied, unballing the wad of clothes to reveal a light-weight black jacket and a fitted white tee with what appeared to be a massive kangaroo jump-kicking Donald Trump in the face. Trump's obnoxious orange hair was flopping up in its full glory at the impact.

"Wow..." Alicia commented, trying hard not to laugh. "It's uh... It's"

"Clean?" Elyza offered.

"Yeah." Alicia chuckled. "Clean. So... Your accent... You're Australian?"

"Crikeys! Well spotted, Mate!" Elyza laughed sarcastically, putting on an exaggerated Crocodile Dundee accent and rolling her beautiful blue eyes. "Yeah, I'm a dinky-di, ridgy-didge, true blue, fair dinkum deadset Aussie. What gave it away?"

Alicia held the tank out with her eyebrows raised, figuring it didn't require a verbal explanation.

"You like that?" Elyza laughed. "You should see the matching grundies. They say No Donald the Donger Down Under in bright orange across the arse."

Alicia figured "grundies" must be "undies." But she had no clue what a "donger" was, and when she asked, Elyza broke into a fit of giggles and gave her another knowing smirk. "I daresay it's nothing _you'll_ ever need to worry about, Lil' Coon. Least not if you stick with me." She winked and laughed even harder at the confused look on Alicia's face.

Still smiling smugly at her own joke, Elyza reached back into her sack and pulled out a roll of athletic tape and a tube of neosporin. She began fumbling clumsily with the dirty bandage on her hand. Alicia could hear her mumbling curses under her breath as she tried and failed to get a grip on the tape's edge. Alicia held in her laughter, thoroughly enjoying watching her struggle. Finally, when Elyza raised her hand to her mouth to use her teeth, Alicia spoke up.

"Here." She said, scooting closer to Elyza. "Let me help you change that."

"You a quack?" Elyza replied sarcastically.

"A what?" Alicia replied, hoping Elyza wouldn't burst into another fit of giggles at the question.

"A doctor." Elyza answered simply.

"Oh... No." Alicia answered. "But I do have two fully functional hands. I mean... You could let me help you. Or... You could put that nastiness in your mouth and try to do it yourself. Your mouth... Your choice."

"Alright." Elyza replied, extending her hand to rest on Alicia's knee. "Go for it, doc."

Alicia found the tape's edge and pried it back as gently as she could, exposing an angry red gash across Elyza's palm. Elyza watched in silence, not flinching a single bit as Alicia spread ointment across the wound and covered it with a fresh layer of tape.

"Thanks." Elyza said, dragging her hand across Alicia's knee. Their fingertips brushed lightly as Alicia released her hand and Alicia shivered involuntarily at the touch, her stomach flipping inside her again.

"Yeah.. Uh.. No.. No problem." Alicia stuttered, her face growing hot again. _What the hell is wrong with you?_ She wondered at herself again. Elyza didn't seem to notice. She was busy digging though her sack again. This time she pulled another wad of clothes from it. Then, without any warning, she deftly pulled her tank over her head and tossed it aside. Alicia, now blushing fiercely, turned away from her as Elyza casually reached behind her back to unfasten her bra. Alicia stared down at her hands awkwardly, fixing her gaze on Trump and the massive kangaroo, terrified to look anywhere else. If Elyza noticed her discomfort, she certainly didn't acknowledge it. Alicia could hear the thumps of her boots against the linoleum as she tossed them aside, followed by the clank of her belt buckle and the zipper of her pants.

When Alicia was finally sure it was safe to look up again, Elyza was staring down at her, now wearing a loose black shirt with a skull and crossbones above the phrase "Ride or Die," very short fuzzy polka-dotted shorts, and that same knowing smirk.

"I'm going to go take a piss, Lil' Coon." She announced, tucking her glock into the waistband of her shorty shorts. "Dunny's right down the hall. Thunder boxes don't flush anymore of course, but it still beats pissing in the corner. Try not to kark it while I'm gone. And don't fuckin' touch my Sun Chips." She laughed, closing the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3: The Artist and the Dreamer

3

The Artist and the Dreamer

Alicia woke to the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks, the brightness painting the backs of her eyelids red. She could tell by the softness of the light filtering through the window that it was still early, just after dawn. She could sleep longer. But she wasn't tired. For the first time in a while she actually felt refreshed and she realized with surprise, that she had gotten through the night without a single nightmare. A few feet from away from her she could hear Elyza's rhythmic breathing where she still slept on her own lumpy pile of mats. Alicia rose quietly, swung her bat over her shoulder, and padded barefoot down the hall to the bathroom.

On her way back out Alicia paused to examine herself in the mirror. She barely recognized her reflection. Her face was naked without even a smearing of lip gloss or a touch of mascara. Instead, she wore a thin layer of dirt and grime. Dried blood was caked along her jawline where she had bashed it against the pavement. She spit into her palm and rubbed at it gingerly, revealing the beginnings of a purple bruise forming beneath the scrapes. With a defeated sigh, she ran a hand through her unruly hair, her fingers catching in her tangles. There was no use fighting with her thick, wavy, brown locks, which were stubborn even back in the days of straighteners and curling irons. But the wild, untamed look suited her.

Alicia rubbed at her light green eyes. Despite having slight bags under them, they shone clear and bright. She knew that in direct sunlight they shone with streaks of blue in the green, like the colors swirling in the base of a wave. But in this dim bathroom mirror, they were the dull green of lichen. Alicia stared into them, wondering who she was now. So much had changed in the past few weeks. She was no longer the girl who worried about college applications and SAT scores, the girl who frowned into the mirror and painted her eyelids with glitter and wondered whether she really was as pretty as everyone said. That girl was gone. Who was she now? A stranger to herself.

Alicia sighed, grabbed her bat, and headed back to the classroom. Elyza was still sleeping, her blond hair strewn wildly around her face like a lion's mane. The sunlight streaming through the window played in her hair, streaking it here and there with gold. It illuminated the contours of her face, the curves of her lips. As much as Alicia questioned her own beauty, there was no denying this girl's. She was too beautiful, too peaceful to wake.

Perhaps it was because Alicia had nothing better to do with her time. Perhaps it was because the way the sunshine was hitting Elyza's face couldn't be ignored, it deserved to be captured. Alicia couldn't explain why, but suddenly she had the overwhelming desire to draw.

Alicia had loved art since she was a child, drawing and painting before she could even write properly. She had first started falling for Matt the day he leaned over her shoulder in Painting 101 and said matter of factly "You know, most of us here are just kids playing with paint so we can get out of having to take woodshop or drama as electives. But you... You're an artist." Matt had been an artist too. And since he had gotten sick, Alicia hadn't touched a paintbrush or a pencil. What was the point now? The world was full of death and ugliness. There was no room left in this world for art.

But here was a moment of beauty to be captured and the artist in Alicia could not resist it. So she snagged a piece of paper and the jar of colored pencils from its place in the closet and set to work furiously, determined to capture the morning light before it faded.

Alicia lost track of time as she drew. It was her favorite thing about art, how everything else around her would fade and even time itself would become relative. She could spend minutes or hours drawing and not know the difference. Alicia was filling in the soft pink of Elyza's lips when Elyza began to stir in her sleep. She was breathing heavily, her eyes darting back and forth beneath their lids. She let out a whimper which quickly turned to crying. Just as Alicia was considering waking her, Elyza's eyes flew open in fear and she sat up, clutching at her chest and panting.

"It's OK." Alicia said, getting up from her miniature desk and moving to sit beside Elyza. "It's OK... You're OK... You're safe."

Elyza wiped the tears from her cheeks, the panic in her eyes fading as she steadied her breathing. She didn't seem embarrassed at all, yet Alicia found herself trying to offer words of comfort anyway.

"It's OK." She repeated. "I get nightmares too. What were you dreaming about?"

Elyza ran a hand through her wild hair then leaned forward with a sigh, propping her elbows against her knees and resting her forehead in her palms. "The dead." She answered, quietly. "They visit me in my sleep."

"Yeah," Alicia answered. "I dream of the infected too."

"No." Elyza replied, lifting her face to meet Alicia's gaze. The look of fear in her eyes had faded into one of pain. "Not the infected. These dead... They are different. I've dreamt of them long before any of this end of the world shit went down."

Alicia couldn't hide the confusion on her face. She didn't know whether she should ask more or try to change the subject. But before she could decide, Elyza started explaining, her voice soft and sad, her eyes staring absently at the ugly maroon rug between them. Once she started, it seemed she did not want to stop, or maybe _could not_ stop.

"I have lots of nightmares." She began. "But they're all the same. Always the same people. They visit me and I watch them die. There's the boy with burned skin melting right off of his bones. I sing to him as I stab him in the neck. There's the little girl who leaps off a cliff and another with scars on her shoulder who can't breathe. There's the bearded man with warpaint and armor. I slit his throat with a scalpel. There's the woman with braids in her hair and mud on her face. She clutches my arm and I clutch hers and as soon as we let go she is shot and falls into the dirt. There's the boy tied to a tree with fear in his eyes. I kiss him as I carve a knife through his chest. There is the frail old man dressed like he's headed to the office. I shoot him in the chest. There's a whole room full of people laughing and eating, children playing. And then they can't breathe and their skin is burning and blistering like they are caught in some invisible fire. I hear them scream. I watch them all die over and over again."

"But the worst one of all..." Elyza paused, staring out the window as if fixing her eyes on the brightness of the sunlight might drive the darkness from her thoughts. "The one that haunts me more often than any of the others and makes me wake up crying... I'm sitting beside a girl, my hands pressed against the hole in her stomach and her blood is pouring through my fingers and I cannot stop it. She bleeds and she bleeds and she bleeds and I can't do anything to help her. She's beautiful. So beautiful. And she looks at me as if..." She paused, biting her lip and shaking her head sadly. "As if... I have _already_ saved her. But I know I cannot save her. I never can. And I kiss her as she dies. And when I wake up, I can't remember her face, the color of her eyes or her hair." Elyza's eyes dropped to her hands. "All I can remember is her blood all over my fingers, blood as black as ink."

Alicia shuddered. She didn't know what to say. She knew what it was like to suffer from nightmares. But she never remembered any of the details of her own. She supposed she was lucky the images always faded with the morning light.

But the awkward silence only hung in the air between them for a moment before Elyza shook her head as if to clear it and forced a laugh. "Well, how's that for a cheerful G'Day to you? But enough yabbering... Let's eat some breakkie and then go find you your family. But first things first, I gotta piss." She announced, shaking off the blankets and standing up. "When I get back..." she added, reaching for her glock off Ms Keller's desk, "I expect eggs and bacon. And toast... Lots of toast. With avocado. And don't forget the vegemite. Got it, Love?"

"Yeah, ok... I'll get right on that." Alicia replied sarcastically, wondering what the hell _vegemite_ was. "You want apple juice with it? Or chocolate milk?"

"Bloody Marys." Elyza mumbled lazily, rubbing at an eye. She turned to head for the door but paused at a desk in the front row. Alicia's heart leapt into her throat. She jumped to her feet, but it was too late. Elyza had picked up her drawing and was examining it in the light.

"Were you drawing me while I slept?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, half confused, half smirking.

"Uhh... That's uhh..." Alicia stammered, feeling her cheeks burning once again. It hadn't seemed weird at the time, but the way Elyza put it made her realize how creepy it would be to find someone drawing you without permission while you slept.

She opened her mouth to explain and the words came tumbling out, "I was bored. And you looked so peaceful... I didn't want to wake you. And the light was doing this thing with your hair. And I had nothing else to do. And..." She stopped, swallowing hard under Elyza's amused gaze. "Its uhh... Its not finished yet." She finished stupidly.

 _The light was doing this thing with your hair..._ _Did you really just say that?_ Alicia thought to herself. It was like her tongue had temporarily disconnected from her brain. _What was wrong with her? Why the hell did this girl make her so nervous, anyway?_ She wondered.

Heart pounding, she pulled her eyes from the drawing to the face before her, awaiting Elyza's response. Elyza smiled and Alicia realized that, skilled as she was, she could never properly capture this girl's beauty on paper. She could not capture the glint in her eyes or the way the sunlight reflected off of them so that they shone as blue as the ocean on a cloudless day. She could not capture the way the light glowed golden in her hair, the color that sand ought to be when the sun bounces off of it and burns your pupils and leaves you momentarily blinded by its brilliance. No colored pencil could do this girl justice.

"Forget the Bloody Marys." Elyza spoke. " _I'll_ make the goddamned eggs. _You..."_ She paused, handing the drawing to Alicia. "Finish this."


	4. Chapter 4: J Rottenberg

4

J. Rottenberg

"You're a dinky-di artist, Alicia Clark." Elyza said as she carefully folded Alicia's drawing and tucked it into an inner pocket of her leather jacket.

"Thanks... I think..." Alicia mumbled sheepishly, standing there awkwardly watching Elyza finish suiting up. Elyza swung her rucksack over her shoulders with a grunt, followed by her adjusted her belt so that her knife dangled at her hip and then reached for the glock off Ms Keller's desk. All leather and weapons, it was like Sarah Connor had just stepped out of Terminator 2. Elyza looked like she was ready to go to war, and Alicia, standing there in her jean shorts and kangaroo tee with her baseball bat hanging lamely at her side, was suddenly feeling horribly inadequate. Elyza must have been thinking the same thing. She looked Alicia up and down with a frown then held the glock out to her.

"Here, Lil' Coon." She offered. "You should carry Clarke Jr."

Alicia eyed the glock warily, biting her lip.

"What's the matter?" Elyza asked. "You don't know how to work it? Its pretty simple. I can show you."

"No." Alicia answered with a shrug she hoped seemed casual. "I just... I don't like guns."

"You don't like guns?" Elyza repeated, with a confused frown, drawing each word out as if trying to make sense of them. "Well... Do you like being eaten alive? 'Cause this here gun could be the very thing that keeps that from becoming your very shitty reality."

Alicia hesitated a moment longer, staring at the outstretched gun. But she couldn't bring herself to reach out and take it. It was true she had never liked guns. She didn't know why. They just made her uncomfortable, nervous. She didn't trust them. Even as a little kid she never wanted to play with them, not BB guns, or Nerf guns, or rubber-band guns, or even water guns. Not even Nick's pouty face (one he had perfected over the years) could convince her to play with him if it involved any sort of gun. And even in the face of an apocalypse, where Alicia knew logically that a gun could mean the difference between life or death, she still didn't want anything to do with them.

Finally, Elyza tucked the glock into her belt. "Suit yourself, then." She said. "Doesn't like guns..." she muttered to herself, shaking her head like a disappointed school teacher, as she reached into her jacket and pulled out a large pocket knife. "At least take this, then. The blade's only 4 inches but its sharp. It'll go through a temple as easy as a meat pie."

"Thanks." Alicia said, accepting the blade and tucking it into her shorts' pocket.

"If you're not going to carry a gun..." Elyza began. "Well... If I were you, I'd stick real close to me. _Rea_ l close." She gave Alicia a quick wink before turning and leading them out into the hall.

They moved through the school carefully, pausing at each corner to listen for the moans of the dead, only to be greeted by silence.

"I parked right out back." Elyza whispered as they paused at the end of one hallway to scope out another. "We're almost there."

She led the way around the corner, where the hallway dead-ended with a large set of double-doors. Alicia headed towards the doors, but Elyza held out a hand to stop her.

"They're locked." She said. "I came in through a window. This way."

Alicia followed her into a large, dim art room decorated with children's paintings and drawings. She shuddered, her heartbeat quickening as she heard them, the muffled moaning of the infected.

"Shit." Elyza spat. "I cleared the playground yesterday, but it seems some of those bastards found a way in during the night. Let me check it out."

Alicia followed Elyza to the left side of the classroom, past rows of tall shelves holding all kinds of art supplies, stacks of painted canvasses, and unfinished clay projects waiting for their turn in the kiln. The last shelf had clearly been moved from its place and was now pushed completely against the wall, pinning a huge canvas decorated with planets and stars and swirls of color against the windows. Broken glass crunched under Alicia's sneakers. She could hear the moaning of the infected growing louder as she moved closer to the wall.

"Give me a hand." Elyza whispered, motioning towards the last shelf. Alicia propped her bat against another shelf and hurried to grab hold of one end of the last shelf. Together, they moved it away from the wall, Elyza cringing as Alicia's side dragged against the linoleum with a metallic screech that echoed in the silent classroom.

"Sorry!" Alicia mouthed silently at Elyza's angry glare. Elyza just shook her head in disappointment again and held her finger to her lips as if Alicia needed further shushing. She crouched beside the painting and edged it to the side so she could peek out the obscured window. Alicia waited anxiously as Elyza surveyed the situation.

"Bad news or good news?" Elyza asked in a whisper.

Alicia answered with a blank stare.

"Alright..." Elyza continued. "Good news is I don't think they heard you. Bad news is the playground is swarming with them. I count four between us and the bike. But there's at least six more wandering the far side of the playground. Once we get out there, we're going to have to move fast. If we take the first four out quietly and quickly, there's a good chance the others won't even notice us."

Elyza pulled her knife from its sheath. "Stay close, Little Coon." She whispered, preparing to move.

"Wait!" Alicia whispered frantically as Elyza began pulling the canvas back. She had just realized her own hands were empty. "My bat... I lost my bat."

Alicia felt like an idiot as she glanced around the ground at her feet. Elyza was shaking her head again, probably wondering to herself once again how Alicia had possibly survived this long without being eaten.

"I put it down somewhere." Alicia mumbled, embarrassed. "When we moved the shelf."

Alicia jogged to the end of the shelf and turned the corner to see her bat propped nicely, waiting patiently for her, against the end of a shelf three rows down. She hurried towards it and was already bending to reach for it when she heard him.

Alicia's heart jumped into her throat at the sound of his moan. She wrapped her right hand around the bat's grip but there was no time to swing. He was already upon her. The only thing that stood between her and the infected's snapping jaws was the corner of the shelf. Before Alicia could react, he had reached through the shelf and grabbed hold of her left arm, sending a half-painted stegosaurus crashing into a million pieces against Alicia's sneaker. Alicia let out a shriek as the infected pulled her towards him, slamming her stomach into the corner of the shelf's end. His free hand groped between the shelves, sending more clay animals to their doom as he tried to reach her. The infected rammed himself against the shelf, trying to get his jaws through the gap in the shelves to reach Alicia. She tried to pull away from him, and before she knew what was happening, the entire shelf was coming down on her. She fell backwards, slamming into the shelf behind her as everything came toppling down in a cacophony of clangs and crashes. Suddenly she was on her back, her legs and torso pinned under the weight of the fallen shelf. And the infected was on top of her, still groping for her from its opposite side.

A shot rang out, echoing through the classroom and the groping stopped as the infected's brains splattered out of his shattered skull. His lifeless eyes stared into hers and, trapped beneath him, Alicia had no choice but to stare back. He was a middle-aged white man with greasy brown hair and a crease on the bridge of his nose from years of wearing glasses. He was dressed in a worn janitor's uniform with a name tag that said J. Rottenberg and Alicia could not stop herself from wondering whether he had been called Johnathan or Judas or Jason or Joey before he had become... _This._ She couldn't help but wonder if anyone had loved him before he became the monster who tried to kill her. She wondered if there was anyone still alive in this world who might care that he was gone.

There was the sound of panting and a grunt and the janitor's ruined body rolled off of Alicia. It was followed by a sickening squish as Elyza drove the heel of her boot into what was left of Rottenberg's skull, apparently just for good measure. Then Elyza's worried face appeared before Alicia.

"Alicia!" Elyza panted. In her panic, it was the first time she had called Alicia by just her first name, her proper name. "Are you OK? There's blood everywhere!"

"What?" Asked Alicia, confused. Only now had she become aware that she was wet, her arms and chest covered in something slick. But she didn't feel any pain, save for the dull ache in her back where she had fallen against the shelf behind her. She pried one arm out from beneath the weight of the shelf and was surprised to see it was covered in blood. No... It wasn't blood. It was paint. A bottle of red paint had crashed with her and spilled all over her arm and the ground beside her.

"No... Its OK!" She sighed with relief. "Its just paint. I'm OK. I'm just... Stuck." She panted, struggling to wriggle out from under the fallen shelf.

"Hold on." Elyza answered. There was a string of mumbled curses interrupted only by grunts and the weight of the shelf was lifted enough for Alicia to scurry out from beneath it. Finally free, she lay on the floor for a moment catching her breath. Elyza appeared above her, the smile of relief on her face suddenly transforming into one of surprise and confusion. She was staring at Alicia's chest, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide.

Confused, Alicia followed her gaze. Her chest and stomach was covered in shiny black paint. It had swallowed the kangaroo and only the tip of Trump's orange hair was peeking out from the blackness. Alicia couldn't read Elyza's face, now. She was standing over her staring transfixed, blinking down at Alicia as if she was only now seeing her clearly for the first time. Elyza opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, pulling her lips between her teeth as if lost in thought.

"Uhhh... Sorry about your kangaroo shirt." Alicia said awkwardly, pushing herself up into a sitting position and gingerly rising to her feet. She slipped clumsily on the slick, paint-covered linoleum and nearly went down on her back again before Elyza's hands swooped onto her hips to steady her.

"Woah..." Alicia laughed as her hands groped the air for balance. "Thanks. I almost fell in the paint. _That_ would have been embarrassing."

Elyza didn't acknowledge her stupid, awkward attempt at a joke. She had released Alicia's hips and was now staring down at the shiny black paint covering her hands. Not knowing what to say or do, Alicia scanned the ground for her bat. Its grip was peeking out from under a torn blank canvas now painted in globs of red and speckles of black. Alicia smeared her sticky hands against the canvas, then pulled her bat from the rubble, further scattering bits of shattered clay projects. Elyza was still staring at her hands when Alicia stepped up beside her and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Uhhh... I'm ready now." She said with a small embarrassed laugh.

Elyza finally pulled her eyes from her hands and looked at Alicia as if surprised to see her standing there. She stared at Alicia with a look simultaneously impossible to read and so intense that Alicia felt her cheeks growing red again. Alicia couldn't explain why this girl's gaze made her feel so vulnerable and uncomfortable. It was as if Elyza could see right through the layers of Alicia into the parts of her that no one was ever meant to see. As if she could see the parts of Alicia that she tried to hide from the world, even the parts that she tried to hide from herself.

After a moment that seemed horribly endless to Alicia, Elyza blinked and gave her head a shake as if to clear it. She wiped the black wetness from her hands against the black of her leather pants and instantly her demeanor changed back into the sassy, confident young woman Alicia had quickly come to trust.

"Well, Little Coon." She said with another disappointed shake of her head. "If the dead didn't know we were here before, they sure as hell do now."

Elyza was right. The muffled moaning of the infected coming through the wall was louder than ever. "You might as well have started up the PA system and rang the bloody school bell." She sighed. "Or should I say the _dinner_ bell."

She gave Rottenberg's corpse a final kick with a mumbled "shit-head," then signaled for Alicia to follow her around the corner back towards the broken window. Alicia nearly slammed into her back as Elyza came to a sudden halt before her.

"So much for sneaking out quietly." Elyza said as Alicia peeked around her shoulder. The giant canvas obscuring the window was now stretching against the pressure of clawing fingers on the other side of it. "Get ready to fight." Elyza said, pulling her shotgun from her shoulders and chambering the barrel. "They're coming in."

"Maybe we let them in." Alicia said, hurriedly pulling her knife from her pocket and opening the blade. "I have an idea..."


	5. Chapter 5: Ride or Die

5

Ride or Die

 _This is a horrible idea._ Alicia thought to herself as, heart pounding in her throat, she slit the blade across the huge canvas. Immediately, groping fingers found their way through the tear, followed by wrists and forearms. Within seconds the first of the infected were pouring through the canvas and into the classroom, clambering over one another in their hunger. _This was a horrible idea. Why had she suggested it? Why had Elyza agreed to it? This was a horrible idea._

Alicia was backing slowly along the wall and around the shelves, leading the infected through the classroom. It was all she could do to not turn and flat out run. But, miraculously, the plan was working. They were following her, a mass of bloody, dirty, staggering arms and legs and torsos and mouths. Over their horrible moans Alicia heard the sound of glass shattering in the next classroom over. The infected, so fixated on Alicia, didn't seem to notice the crash. Ten more steps backwards and Alicia heard the revving of an engine outside. It was time.

She turned on the spot and sprinted the remainder of the classroom, bolting through the door and catapulting herself down the dim corridor. She could still hear the infected following her, but Alicia had always been a fast runner and with every step she took, the distance between her and the monsters grew. She charged through the halls, tore into Ms. Keller's classroom, swung her bat through the window and climbed through the broken glass into the sunshine. Elyza was already there waiting for her, pumping the throttle anxiously.

"Get on, Little Coon! Let's go!" She shouted over the rumble of the idling Harley. She turned in her seat and raised her shotgun, taking aim behind her as Alicia sprinted across grass and gravel towards the bike. Alicia shuddered as a shot rang out and an infected fell to the dirt behind the bike with a thud. Alicia frantically swung a leg over the back of the bike, straddling the seat behind Elyza as another blast rang out from her shotgun, followed by another thud.

"Hang on!" Elyza shouted and Alicia barely had time to wrap her arms frantically around Elyza's waist as the bike jolted into motion beneath her. They sped around the side of the building, through the now empty playground, and towards the school's front gates, which had been left slightly ajar, their chains laying in a heap on the pavement next to the twisted remains of a lock that had apparently been blown apart by a shotgun. Elyza didn't bother to slow down and, her jaw clenched in terror, Alicia buried her face in Elyza's shoulder as they blasted through the opening in the gates and swerved onto the main road.

"Down gate me rung..." Alicia could barely hear Elyza over the rumble of the Harley's engine as they sped down the street, her face still buried in the hollow of Elyza's neck, her ear smashed against the collar of her leather jacket. Reluctantly she pulled her face out of Elyza's curls and opened her eyes to see them barreling down the center of the road, Elyza deftly weaving around abandoned cars, overturned trash bins, and the occasional staggering infected. She felt she might be sick. "I like kind e-mails..."

"What?!" Alicia interrupted, shouting into the wind whipping the moisture from her eyes. _Elyza likes kind e-mails?_ She was sure she must have misheard.

Elyza eased up on the throttle a bit, slowing down just enough to turn her head slightly and let her voice carry on the wind.

"I said... Don't get me wrong..." She repeated. "I like being held. But maybe you could ease up just a little on your death grip, Little Coon. Before you claw your way through my jacket. Relax."

"Relax?" Alicia replied. "You drive like a maniac. This death grip is the only thing keeping me from becoming road kill."

Eliza just laughed, taking one arm off the bike's handles and wrapping it around Alicia's. "Relax." She repeated, prying Alicia's hand from her ribs and moving it gently to her hips. _Relax?_ Alicia thought to herself. Her heart was racing. Her fingertips tingled where they rested on Elyza's soft, but slender hips. She tried her best to relax her grip but she was sure Elyza's hips were the only thing keeping her hands from trembling. She squeezed the Harley's seat with her thighs, awkwardly trying to balance while keeping her hands gingerly placed on Elyza's sides. But within seconds Elyza swerved around a pothole and Alicia found herself pressed into Elyza again, her arms wrapped around her, clutching for dear life.

"Sorry." Alicia apologized quickly, realizing her hands had come dangerously close to groping Elyza. Embarrassed, she tried desperately to shift her weight and move them back to Elyza's hips. But Elyza, realizing her struggle, just laughed again, grabbing Alicia's hands in her own. This time she moved them to her waist, tucking Alicia's thumbs into the lip of her pants so that her palms could grip her belt buckle.

"First time on a bike is it, Little Coon?" Elyza asked with another laugh. "Don't worry... The first time's supposed to be a little awkward." Alicia couldn't see Elyza's face, but she could hear her smirk in her voice.

"Right... OK. If you say so." Alicia replied. Her heart was still pounding. Her stomach was still leaping inside her. Her fingertips were still tingling. She tried to attribute the adrenaline pumping through her system to the fact that she had just been chased by the living dead,the fact that she was currently speeding through the streets on the back of a motorcycle. But somehow all she could think about at the moment was her arms against Elyza's sides, her palms growing sweaty against the coolness of Elyza's belt buckle, the warmth of her thumbs where they rested against the soft skin of Elyza's stomach. And the fact that, despite how awkwardly rigid Alicia was, Elyza seemed perfectly relaxed and comfortable in her arms.

"So," Elyza spoke, her voice conversational despite the fact she was still shouting to be heard. "You said your rellies are holed up near the ocean, right? Care to be a bit more specific? I mean... I don't need a 'in 500 meters make a slight right turn on Pain-in-my-ass Boulevard.'" she said momentarily abandoning her Australian accent in a near perfect impression of Siri. "But a general direction would be bonzer. I can only drive West for so long before we hit water."

"Uhh..." Alicia paused, surveying their surroundings, searching for some familiar landmark. They were still cruising down neighborhood streets lined with abandoned houses and cars, each as unremarkable and nondescript as the one before it. "I wasn't really paying attention on the way there." She admitted. "And it was dark when I got separated the other night."

"Great." Elyza answered sarcastically. "Right-o... Well, I guess I don't really have anywhere else I have to be this arvo. I'll keep heading West and you let me know if you recognize anything. Otherwise we can just cruise back and forth up and down the coast like two dipsticks until we find it."

It wasn't much of a plan, but Alicia didn't have anything better to suggest, so she bit her tongue and tried her best to relax as Elyza turned them onto a small highway winding through shopping centers, gas stations, and fast food restaurants. There were more infected on this stretch of road than there had been in the neighborhoods.

"Damn! Hold on." Elyza warned as she weaved around them, throwing Alicia left and right and left again in her seat. Abandoning all pretense of respecting her personal space, Alicia pressed herself against Elyza, clinging to her like a koala bear and clutching her belt like a lifeline. Alicia could feel hollow eyes following her as they wove down the street. She watched Nikes and Allstars, leather dress shoes, broken high heels, and blackened bare feet stumble across the asphalt in her direction; saw countless fingers and hands groping though empty air, reaching for her. Feeling sick again, she closed her eyes and buried her head in Elyza's shoulder once more.

"You can open your eyes now, Little Coon." Elyza spoke a few minutes later. "I think we're through the worst of it." She was still laughing. Alicia had the distinct feeling Elyza was enjoying this.

"Where the hell did you learn to drive like that?" Alycia asked.

"The Outback, Love." Elyza replied, laughing cooly. "No speedlimits! But there's always something in the road to dodge... Potholes, sinkholes, jumbucks, dingoes, roos, wallabies, brumbies, bilbies..."

 _Wallabies, brumbies, and bilbies? What the hell was a bilby?_ Alicia would've asked, but Elyza was still rambling.

"...Bunyips and yowies." She paused to laugh.

Alicia didn't know whether Elyza was being serious or messing with her. But before she could ask, she let out a gasp, nearly losing balance in her seat as she whipped her head around behind her.

"Stop!" She cried, tugging frantically on Elyza's belt. "Turn around! Go back!"

"What?!" Elyza shouted back, confused. "You want me to chuck a Yewy?"

"Go back!" Alicia repeated.

Elyza eased the brakes, slowing them enough to pull a 180. "What?" She asked.

"There!" Alicia shouted, pulling a hand free from Elyza's belt to point. "That truck!"

Alicia's blood pounded in her ears. There, half in the street, half on the sidewalk, its front fender crushed and caved in around a light pole, was Travis's ugly beat up truck. Alicia didn't stop to think. She didn't hear Elyza's surprised shout. All she heard was the pounding in her ears. All she thought of was Nick.

Before she even realized she had jumped, her feet met the pavement. She hadn't even waited for Elyza to bring the bike to a stop. She stumbled for a moment, fighting her momentum, then gained her balance and charged at the first infected, gripping the bat in her hands so tightly it seemed no more than an extension of herself. She swung the bat through the air and it met the woman's temple with a crack. Alicia didn't wait to watch the body crumple. She rushed past her and reared back for the next blow. The old man was tall and thick. Too tall for Alicia to reach his head. Without a moment's hesitation, she swung the bat at his knees instead, pivoted and spun on the spot to avoid his lunge, and brought the bat down on the back of his skull as he fell. A second slice of the bat down through the air and his moaning and twitching stopped.

Alicia moved past him and reached for the truck's door handle, her lungs heaving with the adrenaline. The door was already propped open, the metal warped and twisted. Its window, like the entire front windshield, was shattered into a million pieces glittering along the pavement and the empty front seat. There was blood smeared along the steering wheel, the polyester seat, the inside of the door. The truck was empty. So was the pit of Alicia's stomach.


	6. Chapter 6: Marked

6

Marked

"Holy-dooly, Hugh Jackman..." Elyza's voice made Alicia jump. "Warn me the next time you decide to pull a Wolverine and jump off my bike while we are still bloody moving!"

Alicia ignored Elyza and she seemed to take the hint as she stepped up beside Alicia and dropped her voice. "OK... Give me the drum. What's going on?"

"He didn't make it back." Alicia answered, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Who?" Elyza asked.

"Nick... My brother." Alicia answered, "We got separated... He was driving. I fell out of the back of the truck... He didn't make it back." She repeated, unable to pull her eyes from the blood smears. Elyza followed Alicia's gaze, surveying the wreckage.

"He could still be alive." Elyza said simply, voicing what Alicia feared to hope.

Alicia didn't reply. She could feel the tears coming in the sting in her eyes, the rawness of her throat. She reached out a hand towards the steering wheel, but before her fingertips could meet blood, Elyza's fingers wrapped around them. She pulled Alicia's hand away from the wreckage, towards her, until Alicia's eyes finally followed.

"He could still be alive." Elyza repeated. "And if he is, we will find him."

Elyza's bright blue eyes were earnest, hopeful, determined. Alicia couldn't hold them. She dropped her gaze to stare at her fingers still clasped in Elyza's. "Hey..." Elyza spoke softly, raising her free hand to Alicia's chin and gently nudging her face upwards until Alicia met her eyes again. "We'll find him." Elyza repeated.

Alicia's throat was too tight to speak. She wanted to believe Elyza. She wanted to hope. But she could not shake the fear deep inside her. She gave Elyza a weak nod. Elyza returned the nod, her face as serious and smirk-free as Alicia had ever seen it, and Alicia knew that whether or not Elyza was right about Nick, she was right about one thing... It was true what she had said last night... Alicia was not alone anymore. Whether or not they could find Nick, whether or not there was still even a Nick to be found, Elyza was willing to help Alicia search. Alicia didn't have to ask her. Elyza was there, by her side. And that alone was enough to ease the pain in her gut, the tightness in her chest.

"Thank you." Alicia managed to choke the words out.

For the first time, Elyza was the one blushing. She released Alicia's hand, fingering the hilt of the knife at her hip instead, and gave her a casual shrug. Then, suddenly business like, she wiped her palms together and turned her eyes back to the truck, hunching over the driver's seat like a detective looking for clues.

"So..." She said. "Where do we start? He's driving in the dark through a shit-ton of infected right? So... He swerves off the road and crashes the truck. I'm guessing his head smashes into the steering wheel and he cuts his forehead open, which explains all this blood." She paused, examining the bloody steering wheel. "With all the broken glass, he might have cut his hands or arms too. So he's injured and bleeding... But he can't stay in the truck what with the infected around, or he'd really be up a gum tree then. So he pushes the door open and stumbles out." She points to the streak of blood on the inside of the door and another on the pavement. "Question is... Where does he go next?"

Elyza spun slowly on the spot, surveying their surroundings. Alicia followed suit. They were standing on the corner of a large shopping center, businesses lining the streets in all directions. There was a Texaco, a 7-11, a Walgreens, an In and Out, a Kmart, a BestBuy, a laundromat... so many possibilities. Alicia pulled her eyes off an infected woman staggering across the BestBuy parking lot with only one arm protruding from her hot-pink tank top, and looked back down at the smear of blood on the asphalt at her feet.

"If he's bleeding, maybe he left a trail." She suggested. "Can you track him?"

Elyza raised her eyebrows at Alicia. "Do I look like someone who knows how to track?" She asked, sarcastically.

"You said you grew up in the Outback." Alicia argued.

"No," Elyza corrected her. "I said I rode my bike through the Outback... Not that I went on weekly walk-abouts."

"Walk-abouts?" Alicia repeated, confused.

"You know..." Elyza continued. "Where you go out into the bush with just your knife and a canteen... and you find your spirit..." Her voice trailed off at the blank look on Alicia's face.

"Whatever... Look," She continued, clearly flustered, "What I'm saying is I'm not the bloody Crocodile Hunter. I grew up in the city, same as you. You're the one who knows him... Just think, if you were him, where would you go?"

When Elyza put it that way, the answer was clear. "Walgreens." Alicia answered with a confidence that even surprised herself. Elyza just stared. "They have a pharmacy." Alicia explained. "Nick has a bit of a... " she hesitated, trying to spit out the words, "Drug problem." Alicia knew it wasn't _her_ problem, but she was still ashamed to admit her brother's habit.

But Elyza showed no judgment at the information. She just nodded, "Walgreens it is, then. Come on."

Alicia followed Elyza onto the back of her bike and they drove the short distance across the street and parking lot towards Walgreens. It was close enough to walk, but Elyza pointed out that they ought to park the bike as close to the store as possible in case they needed to make a fast getaway.

They approached the entrance cautiously, Elyza holding her glock in one hand and her knife in the other, Alicia gripping her bat in her sweaty palms. Immediately Alicia's eyes fell on a bloody smear on the once automatic double glass doors, where a hand had pried them open and then sealed them again. Her heartbeat quickening, Alicia reached for the doors, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Wait!" Elyza whispered, and Alicia could hear the fear in her voice.

"What?!" Alicia whispered back, frantically, wondering what had managed to spook the girl who seemed so cocky and fearless. She turned to look at Elyza and saw that she was staring at the doors as well. But her gaze was not on the smear of blood. She was staring at a large, green, spray-painted U overlapping the top of an even larger, black G.

Confused, Alicia glanced back and forth between the symbol and Elyza's wide eyes, awaiting an explanation.

"It's marked." Elyza said solemnly, as if this explained anything. Alicia had no idea what "marked" meant, but she could tell by the tone of Elyza's voice that Elyza seemed to think this Walgreens was somehow off limits to them. Alicia could tell she was reconsidering the idea of entering it.

Despite her fears, Alicia felt a tinge of anger rising in her. "Marked? Who gives a damn? Look..." She pointed to the blood smear. "Nick's been here. He could still be inside. Why are we wasting time out here?" She asked, reaching again for the doors.

Again Elyza stopped her, this time forcefully grabbing her wrist and pulling her back.

"It's marked." She repeated, raising her voice slightly.

"Ok..." Huffed Alicia, impatiently. "What the hell does 'marked' mean? You're talking about that UG?"

"It's their mark..." Elyza explained. "The Under-Grounders. They've claimed this Walgreens. Which means we're in their territory. We shouldn't be here."

"Who the hell are the Under-Grounders?" Asked Alicia, her impatience building with every wasted second.

"A massive gang of survivors." Elyza explained, her eyes now scanning all around them as if she expected to see snipers on the roofs, spies in the bushes, ninjas flipping out from behind the abandoned cars. "And I mean, _gang_. Assholes... Every one of them. They have numbers and they have weapons. Their king dick, the President, is brutal... live down in the subway tunnels and if they claim an area as theirs they will claim or kill anyone they catch stupid enough to be wandering around on their ground. We shouldn't be here." She repeated.

"Eff that." Alicia answered stubbornly. "I don't give a shit about the Under-Grounders or whoever. Nick's been here. If he is still here, we are gonna find him." She pulled her arm free of Elyza's grip and started prying open the seal between the double doors. "I'm going in. You stay out here if you're scared. I'll go it alone."

Elyza shook her head in adamant disapproval of Alicia's decision, but her voice was resolute as she said, "I already told you... You're not alone, Lil' Coon. I'm not just gonna stand here and watch you walk into a death trap. If you're going in, I'm going too. You jump... I jump, right?" She sighed shaking her head again. "Drongos, the both of us. I don't know who has the bigger death wish... you or me?"

Alicia gave her a small smile as the doors finally budged open. She started through the opening but Elyza shoved past her, her gun raised before her, leading the way. "Keep your head up, Lil' Coon. Eyes sharp. Stay close."

Alicia followed her through the doors and into the seemingly empty store. They scanned the store in silence, listening for the sound of the infected, listening for the sound of the living. The store had been ransacked already. Entire shelves were left bare. Random merchandise was strewn all over the ground.

Elyza edged forward slowly, her pistol cocked and ready before her. Alycia followed her closely. They moved cautiously across the store, pausing at the opening to each new aisle to make sure it was clear, before finally making their way down the toiletries aisle. Halfway down the aisle Elyza paused, momentarily distracted. "We're here for Nick," Alycia reprimanded Elyza with a whisper. "Not tampons."

Elyza shrugged. "I'm multitaski..." She began, but her words were cut off by an excruciatingly loud rattling sound as Alycia's sneaker sent a bottle of Aspirin skidding down the aisle and ricocheting off a shelf. Alycia cringed at the sound, blushing again at Elyza's familiar head shake of disapproval. They froze, holding their breath, listening. A moment passed. Nothing but silence. Elyza held a finger to her lips and gestured for Alicia to follow as she moved forward again. Alicia tiptoed gingerly in her wake, navigating through a sea of tubes of toothpaste, sticks of deodorant, tubes of fungal cream, and packages of adult diapers.

Finally, they reached the pharmaceutical counter in the back corner of the store. A streak of red ran across the white counter. Another marked the handle to the pharmacy's door. Alicia nudged the door open slowly. "Nick?" She asked in barely more than a whisper. "Nick?"

There was no reply. Alicia followed Elyza into the small room, lined with shelves and shelves of medications. Like the rest of the store, the pharmacy was a mess. Bottles and loose pills were scattered across the floor. They crunched into powder under her sneakers. "Nick?" Alycia repeated into the silence.

"He's not here." Elyza said, completing her search of the room. "But he _was_."

She pointed into the far corner of the room where Alicia spotted Nick's open backpack propped against a heap of his bloody, dirty clothes and empty food wrappers. Alicia picked up the backpack, sending gauze and bandages spilling out of its front pouch. The main compartment was heavily loaded with bottles of water, food, and an entire medicine cabinet's worth of pills.

"Why would he leave and not take his backpack with him?" Alicia asked, dropping the sack at her feet in frustration. "Its full of all his supplies. He must be coming back, right?"

"Unless... he had to leave in a hurry and couldn't take it with him?" Elyza suggested. "Or..." Her face darkened, "he didn't leave intentionally."

"What do you mean?" Asked Alicia.

"Maybe he was taken... Claimed." Elyza answered ominously.

"Or _maybe_ he's coming back." Repeated Alicia, stubbornly refusing to lose hope. She propped her bat in the corner and settled down on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Asked Elyza nervously.

"What does it look like?" Alicia replied. "I'm waiting. He'll come back for his supplies. He'll come back for his pills."

"I already told you... We shouldn't be here." Elyza replied. "This store's marked."

Alicia ignored Elyza's words. She pulled a box of wildberry poptarts from Nick's stash and began tearing at the shiny silver wrapper.

"We could wait outside." Suggested Elyza. "Find a good vantage point where we can watch the store and see if he comes."

"Wait out there?" Alicia replied through a mouthful of sugary goodness. "Out in the open... With the infected? No thanks. I think I'll take my chances in here."

Elyza frowned down at Alicia, then turned her gaze towards the door, then back to Alicia. She was clearly frustrated. And clearly torn.

"Come on, Elyza." Alicia mumbled between mouthfuls. "This place is clear. We will hear if anyone tries to get in." She tossed a second pack of poptarts at Elyza, who caught it reluctantly against her chest. "What is it you told me earlier? _Relax_."

Elyza tossed the poptarts back at Alicia, still wearing a frown. It struck Alicia that even this girl's frown was attractive, endearing even. "We don't know that it's deadset clear." Elyza said, her tone frustrated, but resigned. " _You_ relax. _I'm_ going to make sure there aren't any of our undead friends hanging out in the back storage rooms. Stay put. And don't get eaten."

Alicia took a slug of water to wash down the sticky sweetness in her throat. The sound of Elyza's boots disappeared around the corner and she was left in eerie quiet. Her eyes fell on the bloody mess of Nick's clothes. She didn't want to, _couldn't,_ think about how badly Nick might be injured. But with Elyza gone, there was nothing else to think about. She was alone with her thoughts. And it was extremely uncomfortable. She couldn't sit still. She needed to do something.

Alicia got up, grabbed her bat, and headed out into the main store. She might as well gather some supplies while she was here. She found a rack of new backpacks and for a moment it was if the apocalypse never happened as she enjoyed the mundane task of decision making... Dora the Explorer or Sponge Bob? Then she snagged an atrociously purple "Someone in L.A. loves me" shirt off the sale rack to change into, unceremoniously abandoning Elyza's ruined kangaroo shirt. She shoved a pair of fuzzy Lakers pajamas and a second purple shirt into Sponge Bob's face. (They were by one get one free, after all). Then she loaded up on some toiletries, (she now knew the true value of a $1.99 toothbrush) and grabbed a second box of tampons for Elyza.

Before she knew it, she had wandered into the cosmetics aisle and found herself staring into a huge close-up of Taylor Swift sporting lips a shade of hot-pink that even the old Alicia would never have been bold enough to wear. She eyed the display, rows and rows of rainbows of lipsticks and eye shadows and nail polishes, all designed for the old world. They were useless now. There was no point in trying to be beautiful in this world. There was no one to impress, no one to fool. Hot pink lipstick could not protect her from the dead.

Still, one tube of lipstick caught her eye. It was unapologetically dark, the purest shade of black. She pocketed it, then snagged some black nail polish and thick eye liner to match. Alicia was never emo enough to rock black lipstick or nail polish. But this wasn't for her. After all, she figured she owed Elyza, and a box of tampons was not much of a "thank you."

She had just finished shoving the eyeliner into Sponge Bob's face when a voice made her blood freeze.


	7. Chapter 7: Angel of Death

7

Angel of Death

"What the hell are you doing, now?" It was a man's voice. It drifted towards her from the next aisle over, the toiletries aisle Alicia had vacated only minutes ago. Alicia ducked behind a display of lip gloss, holding her breath.

"Just picking up some personal items." A boy answered in a cocky voice. Alicia couldn't see either of them, but by his voice she guessed the boy wasn't much older than she was.

"Magnum sized?" The first voice let out a bark of laughter. "What the hell do you need condoms for, Jakey? You know you can't get a girl pregnant when the only fucking you do is in your dreams, right?"

"Whatever..." The boy answered. "I'm so close to banging Chelsea. You know she wants me. Give me another night or two. I'll have my hand in her pants in no time."

"Chelsea?" Laughed the first voice. "That bitch had five knives on her when we claimed her. And now that she's working in the kitchens... Try to stick your hand down her pants and she'll probably cut your fingers off with a cleaver. If I were you, I'd keep your dick safe in your own pants, _hard_ as it might be."

"Would you two assholes quit jacking off and focus on the task?" A third voice cut over the first man's laughter. His voice was coming from the corner of the store where the pharmacy was. "The President wants our asses back by noon. And I'll be damned if I miss shit-on-a-shingle day because of you bastards."

"Hey." Replied the first man. "Whose fault is it we had to tromp our asses the fuck back here in the first place, Amerson? If you had just let me kill the boy this morning, we would have gotten this shit done hours ago. And you could be eating your shit-on-a-shingle. I could be working on my bike. And Jakey here could be practicing shoving his little dick into condoms, just in case he ever gets the chance to actually use one."

"We don't kill the useful, Lovejay. You know that." Replied Amerson, sternly.

"Useful?" Lovejay replied. "He was a scrawny little turd. And he was bleeding out the 've saved us a lot of time and energy to just put him out of his misery."

"He's young and able-bodied." Amerson countered. "Need I remind you again that you don't decide who to kill and who to claim? I'm in charge of this unit. And if you step out of place again, I will be informing the President that _your_ ass is no longer useful."

 _Where had these men come from?_ Alicia wondered. They definitely didn't walk through the front doors. They must have come in through a back entrance, perhaps through the storage room Elyza had gone to scope out. _Elyza!_ Alicia bit her lip in worry. _Where was Elyza now?_ Was she trapped like Alicia, huddled behind some lousy hiding place, holding her breath? Clearly the men had not seen her... yet.

"Yo, boss!" A new voice called from the back of the store.

"What?" Amerson yelled back, impatiently.

"There's a bike parked out front. It wasn't here when we took the kid this morning. I think someone's..."

The man never finished his sentence, his words being swallowed by a horrible gurgling, choking noise. There was a loud crash and thud in the back of the store and the gurgling stopped.

"What the fuck?" Lovejay asked what everyone was thinking.

"Ralph?" Called Amerson. Then in a whisper, "You two dumbasses get over here. Guns out. Someone's here."

Alicia could hear the men moving through the store, kicking things across the floor in their hurry to join Amerson. She slowly crept from her hiding place and silently weaved through the aisles, staying low and hidden, hoping to get a view of the men. She crouched behind a display of toilet paper rolls and peeked through an opening between the shelves. The three men were positioned, guns drawn, backs to the wall, outside the door to the back storage room.

"You are on Under-Grounder territory, stranger." Amerson called out. "Come out now, and we might just let you live."

Elyza did not answer. A minute passed in tense silence.

Amerson nodded silently at Lovejay and Alicia watched in horror as Lovejay snaked his arms around the corner of the door into the storage area and opened fire, his semi-automatic spraying the room with bullets. Alicia covered her ears against the hammering of the gunfire. When it stopped, the returning silence seemed louder than ever before. She lowered her hands, realizing they were shaking. Logic told her Elyza was surely dead. Logic told her that if she didn't find a better hiding spot she would soon be sharing Elyza's fate. Logic told her that she needed to find a way out.

But Alicia could not move. She could not pull her eyes from the men. Suddenly a scuffling sound, like shoes dragging on concrete, broke the silence. It was coming from the dark storage room. Alicia's heart caught in her throat. _Could Elyza be alive? Was she wounded? Was she surrendering?_ Amerson signaled to Lovejay again and this time the man stepped directly into the doorway, his gun pointed before him, squinting into the darkness.

A second passed. Maybe two. Alicia forgot to breathe. Then Lovejay screamed and opened fire again, frantically backing out of the doorway. But the infected was on him in a heartbeat. The infected's chest was riddled with bullet holes, but it was the gaping hole in the side of his neck from which the blood still ran, a crimson stream carving a path down his sweat-stained wife-beater. His mouth was open, teeth bared, but his moans were silent, apparently catching in his ruined throat. Before anyone could register what was happening, the infected dove his jaws into Lovejay's neck, tearing at the man's flesh.

Amerson, backing up in shock, raised his gun and put a bullet into the infected's skull. Its body crumpled, taking the screaming Lovejay down with it. Another shot rang out and Amerson's gun fell to the floor with a clang as blood started spewing from his wrist. Confused and shocked, he cradled his arm to his chest as another shot rang out. This time Amerson fell to the ground, blood spewing from his knee. Jakey was still standing flat against the wall, his face blanched with terror and confusion as he looked down at his comrades writhing on the floor. Amerson tried to pull himself across the ground, desperately reaching out with his good arm to grab his fallen gun. But before his fingertips could wrap themselves around the metal, a big black boot came crashing down on them.

Elyza was standing over the man like a vision, the barrel of her gun mere inches from his nose. And for the first time, Alicia understood why this girl dressed all in black. At this moment she did not look like the girl who cracked smart-ass jokes and smirked and drove her Harley like a lunatic and carried candles with her because she didn't like the dark and shared her Mars bar with a hungry stranger. At this moment she looked like Death himself. Or, to be more accurate, _the Angel of Death_. Utterly beautiful and utterly frightening.

Alicia could have stared at her forever, spellbound. But Jakey was still plastered against the wall behind Elyza. Elyza had not seen him. Suddenly Alicia remembered to breathe. The terror that had paralyzed her only moments before and had kept her tethered to this spot, disappeared. And before her brain even realized what she was doing, before she could formulate a plan, her body was already acting. It was like she was suddenly possessed by someone much braver than herself, someone who didn't stand by and watch, someone who acted... a fighter... a warrior. And there was nothing Alicia could do to stop herself.

It was just like the moment she had found herself leaping from the back of Elyza's bike without ever planning to jump. She was charging forward again. And again it seemed to her that the bat in her grip was nothing more than an extension of her very arm. Just as Jakey lifted his arm to take aim at Elyza, Alicia leapt towards him, slicing her bat down through the air. The wood met his forearm with a sickening crack and his gun went spiraling across the floor. Six wide eyes fell on Alicia as, in one fluid motion, she swung the bat back upwards through the air. It met the corner of Jakey's jaw with another crack, sending a spray of blood across Alicia's cheek, and the boy crumpled unconscious to the ground at her feet.

Alicia let her arm drop to her side, trying to catch her breath as the adrenaline surged through her, from her heart to her clenched fingertips. Now only four wide eyes were on Alicia. She held the brilliant blue ones for a moment, watching as the shock in them faded into approval. Elyza looked impressed, pleased, if still surprised. Alicia felt herself blushing again. But she was getting used to the warmth Elyza all too often brought to her cheeks. And despite herself, she was smiling. A boy's blood was dripping warm down her cheek. Two men were writhing and moaning in pain at her feet. And here she was in the middle of it all, _smiling_.

Elyza returned the smile, not taking her eyes off Alicia's even as she momentarily moved the barrel of her pistol off of Amerson and blindly put a bullet through Lovejay's head, silencing most of the moaning. Amerson flinched at the sound of the gun, but his eyes held more hatred than fear as he looked up at Elyza.

"What are you waiting for, bitch?" He growled. "Go on and finish me."

Reluctantly Elyza pulled her gaze from Alicia and fixed it on the man literally pinned beneath her boot. "Actually..." she replied. "Its your lucky day, asshole. You're not particularly young, or able-bodied..." She dropped her voice to a whisper in mock remorse, "Sorry about that... My bad." she said, grinding her boot further into the man's fingers. "And you're sorta... How'd your mate put it? Oh, right... _Bleeding out the ass._ But I've decided you can still be _useful._ You see... That boy you _claimed_ earlier? He's part of our group. And _you_ are going to see to it that your group returns him. So here's what's going to happen..."

She paused, crouching over the man so that her pistol rested mere inches from his forehead. "You're going to hobble on home to your president and let him know you have twenty-four hours to make this right. In the meantime, we are going to hold on to little Jakey Poo here, and tomorrow at noon, you, and you _alone_ are going to bring the boy here. In exchange, we will give sweet little Jakey back. You don't show up... Or I spot anyone else with you... I put my knife through Jakey's throat just like I stuck your mate, Ralph, here."

"What makes you think the President would be interested in a trade?" Snarled Amerson. "The President doesn't give a damn about one boy."

"Then he shouldn't have a problem with returning ours." Alicia cut in.

"He doesn't give a damn about either of them." Amerson replied, his eyes still fixed on Elyza. "But, he doesn't take _kindly_ to people telling him what to do. The President takes orders from no one. Why do you think he will take orders from _you,_ little girlie? Just who are _you_?"

"Me?" Elyza paused, leaning in even closer to the man and dropping her voice dramatically. "I am _no one."_ Then she straightened back up and took on a casual tone. "Just the little girlie with a gun to your head."

"Are you sure you really want this?" Amerson asked, his tone threatening. "A war with the Under-Grounders?"

"Return Nick and there will be no need for a war." Alicia cut in again. "Its a simple trade."

Amerson turned his gaze to Alicia. "Nothing is simple in this world, girl. You ask for the boy, you will get a war... A war you cannot win. Do you have any idea what you are starting? Who you are up against?"

 _No._ Alicia thought to herself. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, what she was getting Elyza into. She remembered the fear she had seen in Elyza's eyes when she had told her about the Under-Grounders, when she had warned her not to enter this place. But there was no other option. She could not abandon Nick. And Elyza was still standing beside her. And if Elyza was still afraid, she perfectly concealed every trace of that fear behind a mask of cool confidence, once again becoming the cocky, indifferent woman Alicia had first met. And Alicia was thankful Elyza answered for her.

"Oh... We know all about who we are up against. But the question isn't how much we know about you, Amerson... Or the rest of the Under-Grounders, or your President Wallis. The real question is how much _you_ know about _us_... Our numbers, our supplies, our weapons, our location. And the answer is, you know nothing. All you know is that two little girls took out four of your men without even breaking a sweat.A knife, three bullets, and a baseball bat was all it took to end your unit. Two little girlies... Do you really want to meet the rest of our group?"

Elyza bent down and retrieved Amerson's rifle from the ground, slinging it across her shoulder. Then she released Amerson's hand from beneath her boot and gave him a swift kick in the ribs. "Now get your ass up, before you bleed out right here in this shit hole. I suggest you get hobbling. The president is expecting you by noon after all, and I would hate for you to miss shit-on-a-shingle day."

Amerson gave Elyza a look of disdain, but rose obediently to his feet. "And what will you do when the President sends me back here tomorrow with your man's head in a shoebox?"

"You tell your president that if anyone touches the boy he _will_ have a war." Elyza answered, not missing a beat. "The Under-Grounders have been running this area far too long. You bastards have made a lot of enemies. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Her people... My people... Well, lets just say we have a lot of friends."

Amerson just stared at her, his eyes narrowed. Alicia knew he was searching for any sign that she might be bluffing. But Elyza was convincing. Finally, he spoke."You're sending me back out there without my gun?" He asked. "How am I supposed to make it back and deliver your message?"

"I guess that's your problem, isn't it?" Elyza answered.

Amerson gave her a twisted snarl of a smile. Then, cradling his wounded forearm, he limped through the door to the storage room. "You will regret this." He called as he disappeared from view. "Mark my words... Your pain is just beginning."

"Yeah... Well..." Elyza mumbled as the sound of Amerson's limping faded, "I hope your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny door down."

Elyza turned to Alicia and the cockiness about her evaporated into thin air. "We need to get going. Now. We don't want to be here if Amerson comes back early with a bunch of his friends. Help me tie this little punk up." She said, nudging the unconscious Jakey with her boot.


	8. Chapter 8: The Ark and the Meetinghouse

8

The Ark and the Meetinghouse

Jakey was thin and bony, but tall and lanky and by the time they got him properly bound and dragged his limp body outside, Alicia was sweating. With a grunt, Elyza dropped the unconscious boy roughly on the hot pavement. She frowned down at her bike, wriggling her jaw in thought.

"We're going to need a car." She sighed. "Look around for one with keys still in the ignition."

"Can't you hotwire one?" Alicia asked, hopefully.

"Are you suggesting that I look like a criminal to you?" Elyza asked, wearing an expression of hurt and offense. But the laughter in her voice betrayed her.

"Uhhhh..." Alicia answered, surveying the girl dressed all in black, now with a pistol, a shotgun, _and_ a semi-automatic rifle strapped to her shoulders. "Naw, of course not. I was suggesting that you look like a... Mechanic."

"A mechanic?" Elyza laughed. "Right, of course that's what you were thinking. Naw... My mate, Crow, could hotwire one for us. Hell... She could build us a car out of spare parts from a lawnmower and a toaster if she wanted to. But she's not here."

"Crow?" Alicia asked, wondering if she had misheard her. "Like the bird?"

"Yeah, Crow." Elyza answered. "I mean... Her real name's Lindsay. But no one calls her that. Anyway... She's legit, a fuckin' fair dinkum genius when it comes to science and physics and engineering and everything I slept through in high school. But it seems like she's _never_ around when I need her. So no... We're not going anywhere without keys."

...

"Crash hot!" Elyza shouted across the parking lot five minutes later. "I've got one, Little Coon. Come on."

Alicia found Elyza struggling to pull the fresh carcass of an extremely obese balding man out from behind the wheel of an ugly beat up Honda Civic. Alicia fought the urge to vomit as Elyza nonchalantly rolled the man onto his back, pulled her knife out of his eye socket,wiped it on his pinstriped shirt, and plucked a set of keys from his pocket. She climbed behind the wheel, crossed her fingers, and slowly turned the key in the ignition.

"Chick, chick, vroom." The engine rumbled to life.

"Right-o, we're in business!" Elyza cheered. "Let's go get Jakey."

They found Jakey wriggling across the pavement a good 5ft from where they had left him.

"Shit balls... He's awake." Elyza said, stating the obvious.

"Let me go!" Jakey pleaded, his voice cracking like a pubescent teenager in his fear. "Where are you taking me? What are you doing? Let me go! Please!"

Elyza gave him a kick to the ribs. "Stop wriggling. There's no way you're getting out of my knots, so don't bother trying. Whether or not you fight it, the fact is you're coming with us, mate. So here's the deal... Cooperate... Make it easy for us... And I won't knock you the fuck back out. Got it?"

"Please!" The boy answered. "Let me go! I won't try anything. I swear! Just let me go."

"We can't do that." Alicia answered simply. "We need you."

"I'm just a kid!" The boy argued. "Please... Let me go. You want the kid they claimed this morning, right? I'll tell you where they took him!"

"Oh, you're going to tell us whatever we want to know." Elyza answered cooly. "But first, we are going to stuff ya into the trunk of this car and you're not going to fight us. Don't make me beat the living daylights out of ya."

"The trunk?!" Jakey panicked, kicking and bucking as Elyza wrapped her arms around his ankles and began dragging him laboriously towards the car. "I'm claustrophobic! Please... I'll tell you what you want... just let me go! Please.. I'll"

Before Jakey could finish pleading, Elyza had released his ankles, unstrapped her shotgun from her back, and driven its butt into his nose. The boy fell still and silent again.

"Was that really necessary?" Alicia asked, cringing as more of his blood trickled down his dirty face.

Elyza just shrugged. "I warned the whingey wanker. Come on... Help me get him in the trunk."

...

"Right-o..." Elyza said, wiping her palms on her pants as she slammed the trunk shut. "You get the car going. I'm gonna go grab my bike and you can follow me."

Alicia tried not to look at the fat, balding corpse as she climbed over him and into his seat. She put the keys in the ignition and turned them, but nothing happened. She tried again. And again. Still nothing. _What the hell?_ She sighed to herself, frustrated. _It had just been working._ She jiggled the keys nervously and tried again, then flopped back in the seat, resigned as Elyza pulled up beside her.

"What's the problem?" She shouted over the rumble of the Harley.

"I don't know!"Alicia shouted back. "It won't start."

"Pig's bum!" Elyza replied. "It was _just_ working."

"I know..." Alicia answered, quickly growing annoyed.

"Let me see you give it a burl." Elyza said.

"A what?!" Alicia asked, frustrated.

"Another try." Elyza answered. She looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"I know how to start a car, Elyza." Alicia answered, her annoyance growing.

"Just try again." Elyza repeated.

"Fine." Alicia turned the key. Nothing happened. "See? It's dead."

Confused, Elyza hopped off her Harley and stepped up. "Let me try."

"Here." Alicia tossed her the keys. "Go for it. But I'm telling you, its dead."

Elyza slid into the seat and turned the keys. "Chick, chick, vroom." The engine roared to life.

"What?!" Alicia shouted. "How'd you..."

"You don't know how to drive a stick, do you, Little Coon?" Elyza laughed. "You gotta put the clutch in."

Alicia just stared at her blankly, annoyed at her smug laughter. Annoyed that her smirk made her blue eyes sparkle. Annoyed that her laugh was so contagious it made Alicia want to join in, even if it was at her expense.

But Elyza's face suddenly fell. Her laughter died.

"What?" Asked Alicia, alarmed.

"If you can't drive a stick, that means _I'm_ gonna hafta drive." She said in a dramatically sad, low voice, the kind of voice usually reserved for funerals or sick rooms.

Alicia just stared again.

Elyza let out a sad sigh. "I guess I'll just have to come back for my bike later."

...

"Right-o... So here's the plan..." Elyza began, turning their Honda onto a main road and kicking it into 5th. Alicia wasn't surprised to find she drove cars just as recklessly as her Harley. She weaved them around a staggering soldier still in his greens, the tires thudding as the car hopped the curb and jolted Alicia in her seat. She gripped her seat belt strap with white knuckles as they cruised along, half on the street, half on sidewalk, until Elyza swerved them back onto the road at the last second. Alicia let out a tight breath as her side mirror grazed the light pole they had just missed slamming into.

"Could we slow down, maybe just a little bit?" Alicia asked, trying to sound calm and casual.

"Huh? Oh... Yeah, course." Elyza answered, backing off the accelerator. Alicia watched the speedometer drop from 50 to 45. It was improvement. "Sorry," Elyza chuckled. "I like speed. I may be a bit of an adrenaline junkie."

"Really?" Alicia rolled her eyes. "I didn't notice."

"Anyways..." Elyza continued. "The plan... We drop Jakey off with my crew and then go find your family. _If_ the Under-Grounders call our bluff and something goes down tomorrow, we're going to need every man we can get. How many are in your crew?"

Alicia counted on her fingers. It didn't take long. "Ummm..." She stalled. "Not counting me and Nick... There's uhhh... Six."

"Six?" Elyza repeated. "That's it? Please tell me they are all highly trained in combat and weapons. Or that you all have a tank or an amored car or something."

"Uhh..." Alicia wished she had a better answer. "One of the guys fought in some war in Venezuela when he was younger. He knows how to shoot."

"When he was younger?" Elyza asked. "How much younger? Just how old is he now?"

"I dunno... Maybe like 50?" Alicia mumbled.

"Ripper." Elyza replied sarcastically.

"How many are in your group?" Alicia asked, trying to change the subject from her group's inadequacies.

"Last count, we were at 47." Elyza answered.

"47?!" Alicia replied, impressed. "Wow!"

"There used to be a lot more of us." Elyza said, darkly. Alicia watched her grip on the steering wheel tighten. "In the beginning, we took people in. But we've learned not everyone can be trusted."

There was an awkward silence. Alicia wondered what had happened, how many they had lost. But she wasn't about to ask. She had already learned that Elyza would tell her if, _when_ , she wanted to.

"Anyway," Elyza continued. "It started as just a bunch of strangers coming together, seeking refuge. Our neighborhoods weren't part of the ones the army moved into. We were left to fend for the dead came tromping down our street, my mum's manfriend convinced us the Ark would be the safest place. I convinced a bunch of my mates from high school. And over the weeks we've sorta built a community. You'll see soon, we're just a few clicks away."

"The Ark?" Alicia asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, that's what we call it." Elyza answered. "A hell of a lot easier than bloody 'Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints, El Monica Park Ward."'

"Your group is camped out in a church?" Alicia asked, surprised. Somehow Elyza didn't strike her as the church-going type.

"Yeah. Like I said... It was my mum's manfriend's idea. His mum was a leader at this church. She was high up there. Worked real close to the Bishop. I got the feeling they were _real close_ if you know what I mean." She gave Alicia a smirk, wiggling an eyebrow. Then her face suddenly grew somber. "May they rest in peace." She said, quickly bowing her head and making the sign of the cross.

Alicia didn't know whether to laugh. "Didn't you say it was the Church of Latter Day Saints?"

"Yeah..." Elyza answered.

"So they were Mormon?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah..." Elyza answered again, clearly unsure of where Alicia was going with this questioning.

"You just did the sign of the cross." Alicia said with a chuckle.

Elyza just stared at her.

"That's _Catholic_." Alicia explained.

Elyza just stared again. "Oh... My bad. May they rest in peace... Shabbat Shalom. Mazel tov!"

Alicia tried to hide her laughter. "God, you're insensitive." Elyza scolded over Alicia's poorly concealed chuckles. "Have a little respect for the dead, would ya? Or at least don't sit so close to me when Allah sends his lightning bolt to smite ya."

"Sorry." Alicia snickered. Then she raised an invisible glass. "Shabbat Shalom. Mazel tov." "Anyways... As I was saying..." Elyza continued. "Turns out Mormons have been preparing for the end of the world for years now. Getting ready for the Second Coming, or some bull like that. It's practically a rule of the church that if you're Mormon, you have to be a crazy survivalist. And my mum's manfriend's mum was one of the craziest of them all. Mad as a meataxe. I guess _normal_ Mormons all have food and water and stuff hoarded in their garages and flats. But it turns out she had convinced members of her ward, or whatever, to fortify their very church building too. Before all this shit went down, they had already collected tons of food and water in the church basement. They even installed solar panels in case the electrical grid went cactus. _And,_ even better, they collected a shit ton of _weapons._ I had no idea how many Mormons are huge supporters of the NRA." She laughed.

"What about _turn the other cheek_?" Alicia asked. "I thought Jesus was a pacifist."

Elyza shrugged. "Search me... I'm not Mormon. But I think their official policy is 'if they ask nicely for help, let them in. If they try to take your shit, kill them dead.'"

"Anyway..." she continued. "The Ark was already set up for survival on the inside. We've been working on the outside ever since."

"So you live with a bunch of super religious Mormons?" Alicia asked.

"No." Elyza answered, this time the somber expression on her face was utterly genuine. "I told you..." Elyza said, sadly. "There used to be a lot more of us."

Alicia held her tongue, giving Elyza the opportunity to elaborate if she chose to.

"Like I said..." Elyza continued. "The policy in the beginning was to take people in. Back then the Bishop and church staff were still in charge. They wanted to help people. But one day we took in the wrong group. Barely a week had passed before they tried to take charge." She paused, chewing on her lip as she weaved down the street. Alicia could tell she was searching for the right words. Alicia swallowed hard, already doubting whether she wanted to hear this story after all.

"They waited for a Sunday morning." Elyza continued. "Back then all the church folk still paused from all work, put on the nicest clothes they could scrounge up, and met for church on Sundays. They were all gathered in the Meetinghouse, the sanctuary in its own separate building next to the main building where all the offices and classrooms are. Those of us who weren't Mormon were out working on the wall. The new group locked the congregation in. Then they shot the Bishop and the rest of the church leaders right there on the stage in front of everyone, announcing that they would be running things from now on. Only thing was, this was before any of us realized that not just the infected come back. You don't have to be bit. _Everyone_ comes back. The dipsticks had shot the Bishop and the leaders in the chest, not the head. They had turned their backs on them, and... Well..."

She paused, shuddering at the memory. "One lucky little eight year old had been on her way back from the dunny when the shooting started. She hid and watched the whole thing go down. She was small enough to climb out the dunny window, but by the time she found us, shouting for help, it was too late. We couldn't get the chains off. And when the screams became moans, we realized we didn't _want_ the chains off."

"Afterwards, the rest of us didn't know what to do. It was risky to leave the chains on the door, to keep the dead inside. But there were hundreds of them. It would have taken almost all of our ammunition to put them all down. That's assuming we could even manage such a task without being overrun by them. We thought about burning it down, but the fire could spread to the main building. Or worse, the walls of the Meetinghouse might give way before the dead were consumed, and then we'd have flaming infected to deal with. We thought about leaving. Some folks did. But the wall was growing and the supplies were still in the basement. So we gathered more chains and made deadset sure that door would never give way."

"You mean..." Alicia interrupted. "They're still in there? Hundreds of infected chained up in a building next to the one where you live? Where you _sleep?_ "

"Don't worry, Lil' Coon." Elyza answered. "We've secured it. Honestly, the danger of it doesn't bother me. Its the fact that they're still in there, clawing at the walls, still dressed in their Sunday best. My mum's manfriend said that it wasn't right for us to leave them in that condition. When Mormons cark it they're supposed to be buried in some kind of ceremonial garb in order for them to enter heaven. He prayed for our forgiveness. But I didn't bother. I figured that any God who let this happen to his people probably wasn't listening."

"So now the Ark is run by us heathens who are left. Maybe we're all going to hell for this...But, I mean... Look around... I'm pretty sure hell has already come to us." She let out a sad chuckle, clearly trying to end her horrible story with some levity. "The good news is we have supplies out the wazoo. Bad news is these Mormons were such strict wowzers, not a single one stored away any soda or coffee or even chokkie, let alone alcohol. All my addictions..." She shook her head sadly. "What I would do for a goddamn jack and coke... I swear I'd face a whole room of infected with nothing but your bodgy baseball bat."

"By the way..." She added. "I've been meaning to ask... You don't play softball do ya?"

"Huh?" Alicia replied, confused by the sudden change in subject.

"When I first saw you pick up that bat... all dressed in your flannel..." Elyza was smirking again.

Alicia's eyebrows furrowed. _Again with snarky, cryptic comments about her flannel. What did her shirt have to do with anything?_ She wondered.

"Naturally, I reckoned you were a softball player." Elyza continued. "But the way you swing that thing... It's more like you're wielding a sword than a bat. You a black belt in Kendo or something?"

Alicia had no idea what Kendo was. She just stared blankly at Elyza. "I played soccer." She said simply.

"Oh." Elyza answered. And then she erupted in laughter. Alicia frowned at her in confusion for a moment. But Elyza's laughter was so free and untamed, it wasn't long before the laughter was spilling out of Alicia's mouth as well. She still wasn't quite sure what they were laughing about. But it didn't felt good to laugh with Elyza. Damn good.


	9. Chapter 9: Arkers and Monsters

9

Arkers and Monsters

Alicia watched in awe as the high gate cracked open and a girl emerged carrying a semi-automatic rifle. The girl fired into the space behind their car, quickly and efficiently taking out four wandering infected Alicia hadn't noticed were following them.

"All clear." The girl hollered over the barbed wire and the gate slowly rolled open wide enough for their car to slip through.

"Nice _car_ , Commander." The girl called to Elyza with a laugh as they rolled past her.

"Shut up, Emm." Elyza called back, pulling the car into the parking lot of a ginormous church.

"Commander?" Alicia asked, her eyebrows lifted, trying not to smirk as she climbed out of the car.

"It's a stupid nickname." Elyza replied, slamming her door shut. Alicia's smirk grew to a grin at the sight of Elyza blushing.

But her grin fell immediately at the sight of the girl now pointing her rifle straight at Alicia.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, distrust written in the crease between her eyebrows. She had a sharp jawline, hazel eyes, and dark hair pulled back with a number of intricate braids running through it. Alicia figured she was probably beautiful when she wasn't snarling. Poking out from behind the girl's shoulder Alicia could see the handle of a long blade, some rectangular hybrid between a sword and a machete. Alicia got the distinct feeling that this was not a girl to be messed with. She threw her hands into the air in submission.

"Whoa." Elyza spoke. "Back off, Emm. I can vouch for her. Alicia, this is Mary, wall-guard, all around smart-ass, and weapons enthusiast. Emm, this is Alicia, a girl who needs a little help."

"Nice to meet you?" Alicia said tentatively as Mary slowly lowered her rifle. Mary just rolled her eyes at her.

"Where's Ricki?" Elyza asked casually, digging her key into the trunk lock.

"Inside, making me lunch." Mary answered with a smug smile.

"Send him out, would ya?" Elyza asked, popping the trunk open. A low moan met their ears. "I could use his biceps."

"We shouldn't bother Ricki when he's in the kitchen." A deep voice called. "You never know what he might set on fire." Alicia looked up to see a tall, handsome young man strolling across the parking lot towards them with a grin beneath his dark curls. "Maybe _my_ biceps could be of some assistance."

"Rob!" Elyza smiled as the boy wrapped his strong arms around her. The hug lasted a good three seconds and by the time they parted, Alicia was frowning, confused by the strange, unpleasant feeling flooding the pit of her stomach. It took her a second to recognize it as jealousy and she couldn't explain it or the irrational dislike she suddenly had for this boy.

"Hey," The man held a callused hand out to Alicia, still wearing his boyish grin. "I'm Rob."

 _Clearly._ Alicia thought to herself, forcing a smile as she took his hand. "Alicia."

"Welcome to the Ark." He smiled. "I see you already met my charming little sister."

"Bite me, big Bro." Mary half-snarled, half-laughed.

"Careful what you wish for, Sis." Rob laughed. "Maybe someday I will."

At the sound of another low moan, Rob turned to Elyza, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised you have a body in the trunk? What mess did you get us into now?"

"Hey, I don't get us into messes. Messes find me." Elyza argued. "I'm the one who is always _fixing_ the bloody messes, remember?"

"Yeah, OK, Commander." Rob gave one last sarcastic laugh, before erasing his grin. "Seriously, though... Why is there a boy tied up in your trunk?"

"I'll explain later." Elyza replied. "Just help me drag his ass inside."

...

"Let's go in through the back." Elyza suggested. "We don't need everyone asking questions just yet."

"By _everyone_ ," Rob grunted as he shifted the semi-conscious Jakey in his arms to get a better grip. "Do you mean your mom or Henrian?"

"I mean, _everyone."_ Elyza answered him with a glare.

Alicia followed them around the side of the church, the artist in her immediately drawn to the gigantic mural of Noah's ark painted along the entire length of its wall. The mural depicted a long line of animals making their way onto the ark two by two: lions, giraffes, monkeys, kangaroos, deer. And above them all, smiling with his arms outstretched in welcome, was Noah, bearded and robed and slightly glowing, as if he were God, himself. Alicia wondered if Noah had any real clue what kind of hell he was about to go through, just what kind of storm his God had planned.

...

They dumped Jakey in an underground room inside the church, an old classroom that had been converted into a makeshift jail cell. Then they snuck into the kitchen, where a massive, muscled man was hunched over a giant pot simmering on the industrial-sized gas stove. He had dark eyes and dark skin riddled with even darker tribal tattoos that snaked up his muscular arms and disappeared into his shirt-sleeves only to re-emerge from his collar. The man was downright intimidating. That is, until his eyes fell on Mary and Alicia saw nothing but soft adoration in his smile. Mary slinked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waste. He twisted in her embrace and planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"What's for lunch?" Mary asked.

"Boxed Mac and Cheese, extra creamy, the way you like it, Mademoiselle." The man answered in a terrible impression of a french chef. "With chopped chunks of beef jerky, set aside just for you."

"Yes!" Mary exclaimed. "My fav! O Boy, O Boy, Oberto!"

"And wait..." The man added. "It gets better." He reached for a bottle of something on the counter, being careful to conceal it within his thick hands.

"I found this in the back of the cupboard. Don't tell Adeena I jacked it." He presented the bottle with a dramatic flourish and Mary practically squealed.

"EZ Cheez?! No way! God, I love you!" She quickly wrapped herself around him again before snagging the bottle from him and uncapping it.

"God, you've spoiled her, Ricki." Rob laughed.

The man looked at Rob and the rest of them as if only just noticing there were any others in the room with him and Mary. "She was already spoiled." He laughed. "Long before I got a hold of her."

"Wonder who's fault that was, big Bro." Mary mumbled through a mouthful of artificial cheese.

Rob shook his head in mock disgust at his sister. Ricki turned his gaze to Elyza. "You're back." He said with a kind smile. "You and your friend hungry?"

...

"We can't go to war with the Under-Grounders, Elyza." Rob argued, dropping his head into his hands and massaging his eyes with his fists. "We wouldn't stand a chance. And even if we did, its not worth the casualties over one guy. He's not even part of our crew. No offense." He added, turning his eyes towards Alicia.

"Its not just her brother." Elyza answered. "I heard them talking about Chelsea."

"You think they have Chelsea?!" Mary cut in.

"Chelsea's not that uncommon a name. It could totally be a coincidence." Rob argued.

"They said she had 5 knives on her when they claimed her." Elyza argued. "Coincidence?"

"If those bastards have Chelsea," Mary cut in again. "Maybe they have Devin and Kris too. Maybe they've got Jared."

"Or _maybe_..." Rob interrupted. "They don't have any of our crew. Look..." He let out a sad sigh. "I know we don't like to admit it, but with the dead walking around we take a risk every time we step out of the gates. Chelsea, Devin, Kris, Jared... They all knew that risk. There's no reason to believe the infected didn't get them. The chances that they are still alive..."

"Yes." Elyza interrupted. "The chance is slim. They are probably all dead. But what if they aren't? What if they were claimed? What if they are still alive right now, being held by the Under-Grounders? Don't we owe it to them to do something?"

"Something like what?" Rob asked, his voice tinged with doubt and frustration. "We don't even know for certain if they have our guys. And if they do, how do we get them back? We have no leverage. We can't trade _one_ of their guys for all of ours. And we don't have the resources or numbers for a war."

"We can't just abandon them, Rob." Mary pounded a fist on the table, making the spoons in their empty bowls rattle. "What if it was _me_ who was claimed? Would you just sit around and do nothing?"

"What do they do with those they claim?" Alicia cut into the conversation, finally asking the question she had been dreading.

There was an awkward silence while everyone avoided meeting her eyes. Finally, it was Ricki who answered, his deep voice soft and sad. Up to this point he had sat amongst them in silence, staring at his hands and listening. Now his chocolate brown eyes fell on Alicia. "If they decide you are 'useful,' they put you to work."

"And if you're not 'useful?'" Alicia asked, fearing the answer.

"They..." Ricki hesitated, searching for the right words. "Well, lets just say the Under-Grounders like their meat, and they don't have a lot of _beef_ jerky down in the tunnels."

"Are you saying... They _eat_ people?" Alicia replied, horrified.

"They can't exactly grow potatoes or raise cattle down in the tunnels." Ricki answered. "They come up to the surface for supplies all the time, but they have a large population down there and hunting humans is the easiest way to keep fresh steaks on their plates."

Alicia felt sick. The mac and cheese was churning inside her.

"Are you sure?" She asked, unable to wrap her head around such a disgusting, messed up idea. "I mean... How do you know this?"

"Because..." Ricki dropped his gaze to his hands again. "I used to be one of them."

"What?" There was a collective gasp and outbreak of questions from the group. "You used to be an Under-Grounder? Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"It's not something I'm proud of." Ricki answered. "The President and his crew found me early on in the outbreak. They seemed like good people. They offered me shelter, safety, food, if I joined them and worked for them. My job was just to help recruit others. You see, in the beginning they didn't _claim_ people. They just recruited them. They told us we were free to leave anytime we wanted to. But none of us wanted to. Like I said, they gave us food, shelter, safety.

But after a while I started to notice that a lot of the people I recruited were disappearing. The President said they were leaving of their own accord, but I had never heard anyone talk about wanting to leave. I had never seen anyone try. I started to realize it was the weak ones, the fat ones, the old ones who were disappearing, the ones who had zero chance of surviving out on their own, the ones who had no reason to leave. More and more of them were disappearing. And we were sent up to the ground to recruit more and more often. Soon we weren't just supposed to invite people anymore. We were told to bring people back. We were told that if people resisted, we should force them to come... for their own good, their own safety. The President said we were saviors, rescuing people from themselves.

I believed them. I believed I was helping people, saving lives. And I tried to ignore the disappearances. It was easier not to wonder, not to question. Then, one day... I found..." He paused, running his fingers along the strip of short buzzed hair running down the center of his otherwise shaved head. "I found... I found a tooth in my stew. And I finally figured out why people were disappearing and why the 'beef' and the 'pork' and the 'chicken' always seemed a little off."

"Right away, I wanted to leave." He continued. "But only then did I realize how hard that would be. There were always guards posted at every exit from the tunnels. I'd always assumed they were there to protect us, to keep the dead out. Only now did I realize they also kept the living in. The policy was that to leave you had to have an official reason to give the guards. And, _for our own safety_ , no one was ever permitted to leave alone. We had to be in groups of at least four, and accompanied by at least one 'soldier.' That's what the President calls the men closest to him, the ones who always carry guns and keep order in the tunnels, the ones who have the authority to punish rule-breakers, the ones who make the rules. The rest of us were only given weapons when we were cleared to leave and we were required to return them to the guards whenever we returned from the ground. We had 'no need' for weapons inside the tunnels. We were 'safe' there.

I knew my only chance to get away would be during my next assigned recruitment run. So for three days I pretended everything was alright, and joked with the other recruiters, and tried to eat my BBQ pulled pork, and my beef stew, and my chili con carne without puking. And I thought about telling the others, but the more I started watching everyone... the soldiers, the other recruiters, the builders and the guards... the more I started wondering how many of them already knew.

I didn't know who I could trust. So I trusted no one. On my next recruitment run, we ran into a mob of infected and I snuck away in the chaos. I couldn't take any extra supplies with me 'cause I didn't wanna raise suspicion. Luckily I ran into Adeena and her crew hiding out in a warehouse the next day and they took me in. I didn't tell them I was an Under-Grounder. I didn't tell them the things I had done. I didn't tell them I was a monster."

"Babe..." Mary reached out and pressed her hand against Ricki's cheek, lifting his chin with her thumb. "Hey... Ricki... look at me."

Ricki's eyes met Mary's. Alicia could see the pain, the regret, the sorrow and shame in them. Mary stroked his cheek with her fingertips. Alicia looked away. She felt like an intruder watching this tender moment between the two of them.

"You are not a monster." She heard Mary speak, her voice soft, but firm. "You are not a monster."

"Mary's right." Elyza spoke. "You're not a monster, Ricki. In fact, _we're_ the monsters for giving you so much flack for being a veggo. I get it now. And I take back every stupid bacon and carrot sticks joke I made." She chuckled.

No one else laughed at Elyza's attempt to lighten the mood. An awkward silence ensued.

"Alright..." Rob broke the silence with a sigh. "If this is really going to go down... If we're really going to make a move against the Under-Grounders... We have to be smart about it. We can't just march up to the tunnels, guns blazing."

"You're not wrong." Elyza said, the excitement growing in her voice. "Rob's right, we don't have the numbers or resources to try to invade the tunnels from the outside. They are prepared for an attack. We'd never even get past their outer guards. It would be like trying to get at a fox hiding away in its den. So it seems to me, we can either figure out some brilliant way to smoke 'em out and try to take them out in the open. _OR_ we could find a way to sneak our friends out without even starting a war."

"What are you suggesting?" Asked Rob, skeptically.

"First, we need a whole lot of information. Details. We need to know how many of them there are. Where they're positioned within the tunnel system. Where our mates are being held..."

"Assuming they have our friends." Rob interrupted.

"Right..." Elyza continued with the tiniest of eye rolls. "What kind of weapons supply they have. Possible exit routes, the works."

"We have one of their men." Mary piped in. "I'm sure we could get him to talk."

"He's an Under-Grounder." Ricky said. "I wouldn't trust a word he says."

"Too right." Elyza replied. "We can't trust a damn thing that bloke tells us. What we need is someone reliable, trustworthy, on the inside." She paused, eyes wide and innocent, scrunching her lips to one side like a child waiting for her mother's permission. She eyed each person at the table, as if hoping one might raise their hand and jump up yelling "I volunteer!"

"Just clarifying... You want to send someone into the tunnels? _Intentionally_?" Rob asked.

"With someone on the inside, we could find our mates and figure out a way to get them out quietly." Elyza argued. "Or, if they can't get them out, they could at least help us find the Under-Grounders' weaknesses, a vulnerable place to attack."

"It's suicide." Rob answered.

"I'll do it." Mary said, rising to her feet. Ricki's face fell, but he didn't seem surprised.

"No... _I'll_ do it." It was Rob who spoke.

"You just said, 'it's suicide.'" Mary argued.

"It probably _is_ suicide." Rob answered. "But the Commander's right as usual, it's the smartest plan we've got. And you two can't do it," He nodded at Elyza and Alicia, "cause that jackass you shot this morning has seen you and will recognize you. Probably a ton of them would still recognize Ricki, so he can't do it, either. That leaves me."

"Or me!" Mary practically shouted. "I said I would do it. I can do this! I'm not afraid!"

"I know you're not, Emm." Rob answered, his voice tinged with sadness. "But I can't let you. You're my sister... My responsibility."

"Not anymore." Mary answered stubbornly, the anger flooding her cheeks. "I'm not a little girl anymore. It's not your job to protect me!"

"Rob will blend in better, Mary." Ricki's soft voice interrupted the siblings' shouts. "When I left there were at least three times as many guys in the tunnels as girls. Trust me, the minute your pretty face showed up, every guy within a hundred feet of you would notice. But if Rob puts on a hat and keeps his head down, no one's gonna look twice at him."

Mary frowned down at her boyfriend like he had just betrayed her, but it seemed she had run out of arguments. She flopped back down in her chair and crossed her arms in silent fury. Rob gave Ricki a small smile of gratitude. Ricki did not return it.

"I can get you in." He said, darkly. "But, you're right... This may be suicide."

"Right." Rob answered in mock cheer. "When do we get started?"

"Now." Alicia answered.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

" _Now_ , now?" Ricki asked.

" _Now_ , now." Alicia answered. She turned her gaze to Elyza. "We need to do this right away, while we have the opportunity. The President is expecting us tomorrow. He knows if he doesn't deliver my brother that we threatened to attack... Now is the perfect time!" She finished, her voice full of urgent excitement and even a tinge of hope. The answer was obvious.

Ricki, Rob, and Mary just stared at her, clearly not following her logic. But Elyza's blue eyes widened with understanding. "Whether or not he delivers..." she explained, "The President's eyes will be on _us_ , on the _outside_ , on the _ground_."

"And that's exactly where we are going to keep them." Alicia nodded. "With an army on the outside to distract them, no one will be looking on the inside."

Now it was Elyza's voice that was full of urgency. She turned to Rob. "You're going to need a radio."

"I'll talk to Crow." He answered, rising to his feet and heading for the door.

Then Elyza turned to Ricki. "You're deadset sure you can get him in? Without being seen?"

"All the entrances to the tunnels are guarded." Ricki answered. "But some less than others. I know which are the most vulnerable. Still, we're gonna need to create a distraction. I'll think of something."

"Think fast." Elyza answered.

"I'm coming with you." Mary huffed at Ricki. "If you end up having to fight, I'm fighting with you. We fight together."

"No." Elyza answered. "I need you to stay here, Emm."

"Like hell I'm staying." Mary spat back. "I don't take commands from you, Elyza."

"Please, Mary." Elyza pleaded. "I need you to get people ready here. We might not be going to war, but we need to make it _look_ like we are. Alicia and I need to go find her group. I need you to stay back and organize a group here."

Mary frowned at Elyza, but she didn't argue.

"You're going to have to do some convincing." Elyza continued. "My mum's probably not going to like this idea. But if you can talk Henrian into it, he can talk her into it. And together, they can talk anyone into it. Let's face it... Henrian likes you better than me anyway. He listens to you."

Mary put her hand on her hips, her lips puckered into a beautiful pout. "Fine." She huffed. "I'll see what I can do. Come on, Babe."

She and Ricki rose to leave the room, holding hands as they walked towards the door. Elyza suddenly jumped from her chair.

"Hold up!" She called, jogging after them. "One more thing."

She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered something into Ricki's ear. He gave her a quick nod. "Give me five minutes. I'll meet you in the lot."

Elyza turned back to Alicia as Ricki and Mary disappeared through the door. Her brilliant blue eyes were alive with excitement, with hope. "This is going to work, Alicia." She announced with a smile. And Alicia could not help but smile back.


	10. Chapter 10: Home

10

Home

Alicia made her way across the hot parking lot heading for the Civic, but paused at the sound of Elyza hollering from behind her.

"We're not taking that tatty shit house." Elyza called. She was walking around to the other side of the lot, making a bee line for a red Subaru Outback that, even from a distance, Alicia could see had been more than just a little modified. Spiked metal poles protruded from various parts of the vehicle. Long pieces of scrap metal sharpened into blades were fixed to the side fenders. Two spiked, angled metal sheets were welded to its front bumper to create a sort of plow. Someone had painted eyes and fangs on the plow so that the vehicle looked more like some dangerous, wild creature than a car.

Elyza smiled at the look of awe on Alicia's face as she approached. "Ricki's good at working with metal." She explained. "He made a few improvements on this beaut for us. Offered to customize my Harley too, but I'm a purist. I wouldn't let him touch her. Speaking of Ricki... Give me one second." She said, moving past Alicia with an excited smile.

Alicia turned to see her jogging towards the church door where Ricki, Rob, and Mary waited, along with a pretty Hispanic girl with a ponytail. The girl was showing Rob how to use a small radio. Alicia watched as Elyza exchanged words with the group, then hugs. Was it just her imagination, or did Rob's hug linger? Finally Elyza accepted a long bundle from Ricki, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek in exchange, and started jogging back to Alicia, practically grinning.

"Hey, Little Coon..." Elyza panted, slightly out of breath. "Can I borrow your bat?"

Thoroughly confused, Alicia obliged. Elyza awkwardly cradled her bundle in one arm and reached for the bat with the other. Then she swung the bat as hard as she could, sending it flying across the parking lot.

"Hey!" Alicia protested as she watched her bat ricochet off the pavement and into an oleander bush. "What the..."

"Here." Elyza interrupted. "This is for you."

She held out the bundle, unwrapping a fuzzy beach towel to reveal leather beneath. Alicia quickly realized the hard leather housed a long metal sword. Elyza unsheathed the sword from the leather and held it out to Alicia. It was nothing beautiful. It's shape was rough. The metal was dark and a little rusted in some places. The sword was clearly handmade, but it looked sharp and deadly.

"I told you, I've never used a sword in my life." Alicia warned Elyza. Still, she could almost feel her fingertips tingling in anticipation as she reached for the blade. She tentatively wrapped her fingers around the rounded end of the blade and held it out before her. Then she swung the sword through the air and it was if the blade was nothing more than an extension of her own arm. Immediately, she felt it... The same feeling she got with a paintbrush in her hand; the same feeling she got when she stared at the stars; the same feeling she got when she heard Elyza say "Lexa." It was just... It just felt... _right._

It felt good, unbelievably good. And before she knew what she was doing, Alicia was cutting and slicing and dicing the air around her, moving her arm in tight figure eights and wide deadly circles.

"Well..." Elyza laughed. "Either you're bullshitting me or you're a goddamn prodigy. You look like the freak offspring of a ninja and a bloody ballerina."

Alicia stopped herself in the middle of a pivot, pulling out of her spinning lunge. She had forgotten that Elyza was watching her. She had forgotten everything except the blade in her hand. She lowered her arm, her face burning partly in embarrassment, partly from the exertion. Blood was pounding in her ears. Adrenaline was coursing in her veins. She was embarrassed. But it still felt good, unbelievably good.

"So..." Elyza smirked. "You like it?"

"I..." Alicia could not explain how she felt. She did not even understand it, herself. "I _love_ it. Thank you."

"Well... I figured if I couldn't get you to carry a gun, at least this is better than that stupid bat." Elyza said with a casual shrug, as if the gift meant nothing. But the smile in her eyes and the blush in her cheeks betrayed her. She was pleased.

"Now sheathe that thing before you give one of us tetanus, and lets get going." She said, climbing into the Subaru. "By the way, careful getting in, Little Coon." Elyza laughed. "Sometimes Anya bites."

Alicia carefully opened the passenger door and climbed in, making sure not to impale herself in the process. "Anya?" She asked.

"Ricki named her." Elyza answered with a shrug. "He said I wasn't allowed to call her Clarke." She turned the key in the ignition and Alicia jumped as the engine roared to life. Elyza laughed. "Anya's a spitfire." She said with a wicked smile. "You think Ricki did a nice job on the outside? Well... Crow made a few of her own modifications on the inside. I'm not the only adrenaline junky in the Ark."

...

Alicia flinched as blood splattered the windshield. With a lazy flick of her finger Elyza turned on the windshield wipers, still humming along with the CD blasting from the speakers, "I like the way you work it. No diggity." The wipers left red streaks on the glass and thudded against the infected's dismembered arm a few times until Elyza gave the steering wheel a sharp jerk and the arm was finally dislodged and flopped off the side of the hood. Elyza gave the steering wheel another jerk and Alicia shut her eyes against the carnage, the Subaru bucking her in her seat as the back tires rolled over the fallen infected.

"Do you have to hit every single one?" Alicia asked over the music. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Just don't chunder on the upholstery. I don't have any barf bags." Elyza paused from her singing to laugh. Then lifting her voice perfectly with the music, "I got to bag it, bag it up."

At Alicia's glare, she finally tore her eyes from the road and met Alicia's. "I'm sorry." She apologized sheepishly. Alicia could tell she was still trying not to laugh. "It's Anya's fault, really. When I get behind this wheel, I can't help it. I mean... She's designed to slaughter. But I guess I can _try_ to go around them," she finished, simultaneously swerving around a teenage boy in a backwards baseball cap. Alicia watched the infected as they passed within an arm's length of him. But before they had cleared him, the spike protruding from the back fender caught him in the leg, piercing right through his skinny jeans and skewering his thigh. Anya dragged the infected a good 100 yards before his leg finally ripped free of the spike.

"Oops." Elyza cringed, sucking air through her teeth as she watched the boy in the rearview, now crawling across the pavement, his half-severed leg dragging behind him. "My bad... I thought I cleared him. I'll go around the next one, I swear."

"So..." Elyza continued, slowing the car at an intersection. "We're running out of road. Gonna hit water real soon. I think we should probably follow this one. It looks like a main road. Question is... North or South?"

Alicia looked out her window, still not recognizing a thing. Elyza waited patiently, softly singing, "I'm radioactive, radioactive," her fingers drumming the steering wheel to the beat of the music.

"North?" Alicia answered, half asking, half telling.

"North it is." Elyza said, making a right turn and stepping onto the accelerator again, following the road through shopping strips and fast food joints as she sang on. "Welcome to the new age, to the new age. Welcome to the new age... Boy did these drongos get it wrong."

"What?" Alicia glanced at Elyza, confused.

Elyza pointed at the CD player. "Imagine Dragons." She explained. "They totally got the whole apocalypse thing wrong. I mean, a _nuclear_ apocalypse? If only..." She said, dreamily.

"I don't know..." Alicia responded. "A nuclear apocalypse might be worse."

"Worse than _this_ shit?" Elyza replied. "How could anything possibly be worse than this shit? Fuckin' dead people trying to eat your face off everywhere you go..."

"Yeah, but at least you can shoot dead people." Alicia argued. "You can't shoot _radiation_. In a full nuclear apocalypse, the whole world would be ruined. The very air would be toxic."

"Yeah, but radiation doesn't last forever." Elyza argued. "You'd just have to wait it out. Hunker down somewhere."

"Hunker down somewhere?" Alicia asked, skeptically. "Like where? In a bunker under a mountain or something? You'd be trapped under there for who knows how long. And if you were never exposed to any of the radiation, you'd probably never be able to go back outside. Your body would never adjust."

"Naw," Elyza shook her head. "I wouldn't wait it out in some lame-ass, shit house underground bunker. I'm talking about leaving Earth entirely."

"What?" Laughed Alicia.

"You could totally wait it out in style in space." Elyza answered.

"What?" Alicia laughed again. "On what planet?"

"On a space station, you duffer." Elyza replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Alicia just shook her head, smiling. _Of course Elyza, with her strange affection for all things space related would come up with such a ridiculous idea_.

"Don't shake your head at me like it's some ridiculous idea." Elyza scolded her, as if able to read her thoughts."With the right supplies you could totally survive up in space and wait until Earth was inhabitable again."

"This whole conversation is ridiculous." Alicia laughed. But she decided to humor her. "But, OK... Say you somehow managed to make it to a space station before getting blown up. And you had enough food and water and oxygen and all that crap you would need to survive up in space. And there were enough survivors to have kids and stuff and build a little population up... How would you even know just when Earth was 'inhabitable' again?"

Elyza scrunched her face, thinking. "I guess you'd have to send down some poor suckers to test it and find out." She shrugged.

"Yeah." Alicia laughed. "And I bet those poor suckers would come all the way back down to Earth, thinking they were the saviors of mankind, only to find there's a bunch of people already managing just fine down on the ground. Because... Really? _Space?_ Don't you think that's a bit dramatic? Overkill? _Extra_?"

"What?" Elyza replied. "Extra? Hello... The air on Earth is toxic. How would people be surviving?"

"Because," Alicia argued. "There are _always_ survivors. Most people would die off, but you know there would be some people with like, good genes or something, that ended up being able to survive radiation."

"Good genes?" Elyza interrupted, laughing critically.

"Yeah, good genes." Alicia continued. "Mother nature always finds a way. It's science. Anyway, I bet these people who survived would probably already have rebuilt society when your weirdos come down from outer space and probably start screwing everything up for them."

Elyza laughed. "Sounds like a cheesy sci-fi show."

"Yeah, it does." Alicia agreed. "And I bet the space people and the earth people would end up in some stupid war against each other, because the show would be way too boring if the earth people just gave the space people a nice plot of land and showed them how to grow corn."

"Too right.." Elyza answered. "You'd definitely need some bad-ass battles with guns and swords and warpaint and shit. And you'd hafta throw in some romance. I bet the king dick of the space people and the king dick of the earth people, even though they're sworn enemies, would end up falling hopelessly in love... or at least having a naughty." Elyza laughed. "'Cause who doesn't love the whole, sappy star-crossed-lovers story line?"

"Sounds like a _super-de-duper_ cheesy sci-fi show," Alicia laughed.

"I'd totally watch it." Elyza said.

"Me too." Alicia admitted, straightening in her seat as the road cut left and they finally got a glimpse of blue ocean peeking out from behind the businesses. Cheap motels and Bed and Breakfasts with cheesy names were popping up left and right.

"Still..." Elyza said. "Radiation or not, it would be ripper not to have to worry about being bloody _eaten_ every time you go outside."

"I don't know." Alicia argued. "What about mutant animals trying to eat you?"

"Mutant animals?" Elyza replied. "What animals? This is L.A.. What's going to attack you, a two-headed chihuahua? I mean... Its not like we have giant gorillas or..."

"Wait!" Alicia shouted, cutting off Elyza's rambling. "I know where we are!"

"Really?" Elyza replied, looking out the windshield excitedly as if expecting to see a signpost with "The Clarks, Next Right" plastered on it.

"Yes!" Alicia answered, "I recognize that narwhal!"

She pointed at a ridiculous gigantic stone statue of a narwhal holding a bright blue sign with the words "Sofia's Seashells by the Seashore B&B" painted across it.

"That hideous thing?" Elyza asked, frowning at the statue.

"Yes," Alicia giggled. "We definitely passed that on the way to Strand's place. Go slow."

Alicia craned her neck, searching for more familiar sights as they cruised slowly down the road.

Soon the fast food joints gave way to classy seafood restaurants and the shabby motels were replaced by ritzy hotels.

"Here," She called. "Turn here."

They were now climbing a hill lined with decorated iron gates and massive, gleaming driveways leading to massive, gleaming houses.

"Well," Elyza said, eyeing the houses with a strange mixture of awe and disgust. "I've definitely never been through this part of town before." She gave Alicia a quick glance. "You excited to be going home?"

"This isn't my home." Alicia replied flatly, her stomach knotting as she thought of her home, her old room with Matt's drawings above her bed. "I don't have a home anymore."

"Sure you do." Elyza spoke. "Your family's here, right? In my book, that makes it 'home.'"

When Alicia didn't reply, Elyza reached out and turned the volume down a notch. "You know... When I was a little rug rat," she began, apparently suddenly deciding it was story time. "Back in Australia... we lived in a tatty little trailer. My sister and I didn't mind. We used to make pretend we lived in a spaceship. But once I got old enough to realize our space shuttle was really just a shit house trailer, I asked my Dad 'how come we didn't have a nice fancy home like the other kids?' And you know what he told me?" She paused dramatically.

"He said," She cleared her throat and then put on a deep, heavy Australian accent. "'Lyzie Loo, a fancy house is not a home. A home is not a place. Home is not _where you are_. It's _who you're with_. Home is the people who make you feel safe. Home is the people who you can always be yourself with because they know the dinki-di, ridgy didge you and they love her."'

She paused to look at Alicia. "He said, 'surround yourself with those kinds of people and you will always have a home.'"

"My dad was always saying stuff like that." She continued, turning her eyes back on the road with a faraway look. "I guess you could say he was a dreamer. I never understood most of it. But anyway, I remember that day he told me a lot of 'them big-smoke, tall poppies,' as he called them, in 'them fancy, exy houses' don't have a _home_. And he swore he'd never trade places with them, even if he could."

"And I said, 'But daddy... Rin lives in a fancy house and she has a swimming pool. Why can't our home have a swimming pool?'" Elyza finished with a laugh.

Alicia didn't laugh. She was lost in what Elyza had said, the depth behind her father's words. _Where was her home now?_ Alicia wondered to herself. _Did she even have a home? Was it with her mom? Or Nick?_ Somehow neither answer felt right. _Who made her feel comfortable, safe?_ She knew the answer. It was clear, and obvious, and absolutely crazy. And she couldn't bring herself to admit that the person who felt the most like 'home' to her was the one sitting beside her... The one she had only just met... The one she felt like she had somehow always known.

"So, do you call the Ark 'home,' then?" Alicia asked, swallowing hard. She was inexplicably nervous again as she waited for Elyza's answer. She thought of how comfortable Elyza had seemed at the Ark, how freely she had hugged her friends. How freely she had hugged Rob. _What did she expect?_ Alicia thought to herself. _That Elyza would say 'no... You're my home now, Lil' Coon?' The idea was ridiculous. Of course Elyza would think of the Ark as home. And yet_ Alicia couldn't help but think _, if she felt at home at the Ark, what was Elyza doing running around on her own, camping out in a random elementary school?_

Elyza still did not answer. She was staring at the road, her eyebrows furrowed, her chin wriggling back and forth in thought. And Alicia could not help but wonder if maybe Elyza was still searching for a home too. Finally Elyza spoke, her voice serious, pensive.

"The Ark doesn't have a swimming pool either." Was all she said. And Alicia could not help but smile.


	11. Chapter 11: Stranded

11

Stranded

"Whew..." Elyza let out a low whistle as they cruised up the private drive to Strand's monstrosity of a house. "How do you know this bloke?"

"I don't." Alicia answered.

"Well..." Elyza slid the car into park. "I bet _this place_ has a pool."

"Come on." Alicia said, climbing out of the car. Elyza followed, gun drawn. They paused awkwardly outside the massive front door.

"Should we knock?" Elyza asked.

Alicia gave the handle a tentative twist and the door creaked open.

"Mom?" She called into the silence. "Travis? Chris?"

"Looks like no one's home." Elyza said, stepping into the wide entry. "You sure this is the right place?"

"Course I'm sure." Alicia answered, pushing past her into the deserted living room. "Mom? Travis? Chris?"

"Alicia?!" A voice made Alicia jump. She spun on the spot to see Ofelia rushing towards her. "You're alive!"

The girl gave her a quick hug then pulled back, wincing and clutching at the still fresh bullet wound in her shoulder.

"Where is everyone?" Alicia asked her.

"Out looking for you." Ofelia answered. "They've been driving the streets for two days searching for you. I thought you were dead. Where's Nick?"

"Nick's in trouble." Alicia answered. "This is Elyza. Her people are going to help us..." She paused, her eyes falling on the overflowing duffel bag hanging from Ofelia's good shoulder. "...get him back." She finished. "What's with the duffel bag? You going somewhere?"

Ofelia didn't answer. She rocked back and forth on her toes, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot, her gaze avoiding Alicia's accusatory glare. "Uhhh..." She stalled.

"What's going on?" Elyza asked, clearly sensing the tension. "What is this?"

As if on cue, Daniel's voice drifted in from the next room. "Ofelia? Nina, ya estas lista? Vamanos!"

Daniel wandered into the room fiddling with a fishing pool. His eyes fell on Elyza and he reached for his gun, but Elyza was quicker. Daniel opened his hands in submission, the fishing pole clattering to the floor. He glared at Elyza with hate and distrust in his eyes.

"What's the hold up? Let's go." Said a deep voice and Strand appeared in the doorway behind Daniel. He too reached for his gun, but Elyza shook her head at him dangerously.

"Don't even think about it." She warned.

"It's OK, Elyza." Alicia said. "You can put the gun away."

"I don't trust these wankers." Elyza answered.

"You can't just shoot everyone you don't trust." Alicia argued.

"Yes, I can." Elyza answered stubbornly, but she slowly lowered her gun to her side.

Alicia fixed her glare on Strand. "You're leaving, aren't you?" She asked.

The man did not try to deny it. "Yes." He answered simply.

"What about my family?" Alicia asked. "You're just going to take off and abandon us?"

"I've waited two days." Strand answered. "The optimal hour of our departure has already passed. Its time to go."

"My brother's been captured. He needs our help or he'll be killed." Alicia said, glaring at Strand's blank face. "But you don't care about that, do you?"

"I do care." Strand answered. "Somewhat."

"Can I shoot this asshole, now?" Elyza asked.

"Look," Strand argued. "Your brother is a survivor. I daresay he is designed for this world. It is the rest of your family I would be concerned about, if I were you. The fact is, your family is a liability. One I am not prepared to back. Constant movement is vital for survival and I've already lingered here far longer than is wise. The Abigail is _my_ boat and she is setting sail _now._ Judge me all you like girl, but I hold no obligation to you or your family, or any man for that matter."

"Strand," Alicia pleaded. "Please, just give us one more day. We need everyone we can to help get Nick back. Plus, if you leave without us, where are we supposed to go?"

"I'm sorry." He answered with a shrug. "The Abigail is setting sail now. Any of you can come aboard if you like. Or you can stay. One less mouth to feed. You have five minutes to decide." He turned and left the room.

Alicia turned to Daniel and his daughter. "Daniel... Ofelia..." She pleaded. "Please. They took Nick. We need all the help we can get."

"Lo siento." Daniel answered, his voice holding little more sympathy than Strand's had. "I'd like to help your family, but the safety of my own must always come first." He wrapped an arm around Ofelia and began herding her towards the door. "Vamanos, Ofelia."

"So that's it?" Alicia asked angrily. "You're just leaving? We helped you. We took you in. Gave you a place to stay."

"Only after my family had taken yours in." Daniel countered. "Our debt is paid."

"Papa," Ofelia protested. "This is wrong. We should help them. This is wrong." She repeated.

"This is war, hija." Daniel answered.

"We're not _at_ war, Papa." Ofelia argued.

"Yes, hija. We are. Siempre." Daniel answered. "Now, vamanos... Ahora."

"Don't do this." Alicia pleaded a final time, even as Daniel turned his back on her.

Ofelia gave Alicia one last pitiful look to say "I'm sorry," and obediently allowed her father to usher her from the room.

"I could still shoot them all. It's not too late." Elyza offered as Alicia flopped dejectedly onto the very Italian leather sofa she had awoken from only two nights ago. So much had happened since she had followed Nick into the night. She heard the engine of a motor boat rumble to life outside. Elyza was wrong. It _was_ too late. Strand was leaving and he was taking the Abigail with him.

"So..." Elyza spoke tentatively. "Let me get this straight... We just got stranded by a bloke named _Strand?"_ She laughed bravely in the face of Alicia's silence.

Alicia gave her a dull stare. "You know... I don't know what's more likely to kill me first... An infected, or one of your terrible, dumb jokes."

"Aww... Come on." Elyza snickered. "Even you have to admit that was a good one. I mean... If _people_ can come back from the dead, surely your sense of humor can too."

"Look," She continued, flopping down beside Alicia, her fingertips grazing Alicia's knee. "We don't need those wankers. My crew will come through. With Rob on the inside... We'll get your brother out. Plus, like I said, a sailboat was a dumb-ass plan anyways. That bastard can sail the seven bloody seas. The whole world's gone to shit. He won't find anywhere any safer than here. A boat's bout as useful as a bull with tits."

"You know what?" Alicia replied. "You're deadset right. Eff 'em. They were a bunch of dinky-di drongos, anyway."

Elyza's lips parted in surprise at Alicia's use of her Aussie slang. For a moment she just stared at her, her face a mixture of respect, appreciation, and awe. But as Alicia began to blush, Elyza's lips pulled into a grin.

"May their chicks..." Alicia began, wanting to further impress her, but struggling to remember the words. It didn't help any that Elyza's grin made her blue eyes glimmer and deepened the soft pink of her lips until her beauty was downright distracting. "Hatch into emus and... Knock down their..."

"May their _chooks..."_ Elyza corrected with an adorable laugh and Alicia felt her own lips pull into a goofy grin. "Turn into emus and kick their dunny doors down!"

"Right..." Alicia laughed. " _That."_

"Shabbat, Shalom!" Elyza cheered. "Mazel Tov... Amen."

Alicia gave her a smile and then let out a sigh. "What now, then?"

"Now," Elyza paused to grunt as she pried off a dusty combat boot and tossed it carelessly onto the cashmere rug. "We wait."


	12. Chapter 12: Smooth

12

Smooth

"You have to close your eyes!" Alicia protested.

Elyza scrunched her face into an adorable pout then reluctantly squeezed her eyes shut. But before Alicia had even picked up the spoon her eyes shot open again.

"Remember... I said _tiny_ OK?" She said for what had to be the third time. "Like _tiny_ tiny. Like _matchbox-sized_ tiny."

Alicia rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I got it... _Tiny_. Now close your damn eyes. You have to trust me."

Elyza eyed the jars between them nervously. "I can't do that." She whined.

"Come on... It's only fair." Alicia argued. "It's your turn. There's no way it could be worse than the nastiness you gave me. I mean... Garlic onion _mulberry_ chutney?! Who the hell even thinks up something like that?" Alicia scraped her tongue along the back of her front teeth, still trying desperately to get rid of the horrible aftertaste.

"Rich people." Elyza mumbled. She let out a resigned sigh. "OK. I do trust you, Little Coon."

"Thanks." Alicia grinned, picking up the spoon and brandishing it like a weapon.

"Just make it..." Elyza began.

"I know... _Tiny_." Alicia finished for her.

"And not the pistachio and wasabi mustard, OK?" Elyza pleaded. "I fucking hate wasabi."

"I don't know..." Alicia teased. "Pistachio flavored mustard? Could be good."

Elyza gave her a horrified look and Alicia giggled at the fear in her eyes. "Alright... Not the mustard. I swear. Just close your damn eyes and open your mouth."

"God, this game would be a lot more fun if there was drinking involved." Elyza sighed, closing her eyes and sticking her tongue out, already cringing in anticipation.

Alicia surveyed the selection of jars between them: an assortment of relishes, bruschettas, chutneys, and tapenades, each looking just as disgusting as the next. Finally she settled on the tiny black jar of lumpfish caviar. The smell alone was enough to make her gag. With a wicked smile she dipped the spoon into the roe, getting a hefty spoonful. Then she lifted it towards Elyza's frightened face.

"Alright... Open wide." Alcia instructed. "Here comes the rocket ship." She tried not to laugh as she made airplane noises.

Sensing the incoming assault, Elyza pressed her lips together, turning her face away like a stubborn two year-old.

"I said, 'open wide.'" Alicia laughed as Elyza shook her head side to side in protest.

"You have to hold still." Alicia complained.

"Nuuuhhh uhhh." Elyza groaned through her closed lips.

Alicia hesitated, biting her own lip nervously, then reached out with her free hand and grasped Elyza's chin. Elyza's face pulled back in surprise but she stopped shaking it and held still in Alicia's hand.

Alicia's heart raced as she reached out with her thumb and gently tugged at Elyza's lower lip. "Come on... Open up."

At her touch Elyza's lips parted in surprise. Before they could pull into a smile Alicia took advantage of the opening and shoved the spoon into Elyza's mouth.

"Ekk!" Elyza's eyes flew open as she spat the eggs back onto the countertop. "It's horrible!"

She wrenched the spoon from Alicia's hand and started dramatically scraping her tongue with it. "You chose the lumpfish eggs?! It tastes like rotten fish guts!"

"Hey..." Alicia laughed, throwing her hands into the air. "You just said no mustard. I didn't promise anything about fish eggs."

Elyza drove her fist into the box of stale saltines and shoved three in her mouth. "You couldn't pay me to eat that shit!" She mumbled as bits of cracker fell from her lips.

"Aww... Come on." Alicia laughed. "It couldn't have been as bad as the mulberry garlic onion crap you gave me. Honestly, sometimes you're so... _Extra._ "

"Whatever." Elyza replied, now scrubbing her tongue with the salty side of a fresh saltine. "I'd take a three dollar jar of vegemite over that exy nastiness any day."

She pushed the jar towards Alicia. "Here, bog in. It's all yours."

"Thanks." Alicia replied sarcastically, pushing the jar back towards Elyza. "But I think I'd prefer peanut butter on my crackers."

"Well," Elyza said, crossing the kitchen. "I think we can agree _that_ cupboard was a bust. Let's take a squizz behind door number two." She swung another cupboard open and let out an excited gasp.

"Peanut butter?" Alicia asked hopefully.

"Naw... Even better!" Elyza cried, reaching into the cupboard. Alicia heard the clanking of bottles.

"What's better than peanut butter?" Alicia asked, skeptically.

"Let's just say it turns out your mate, Strand, is no Mormon. Thank God." She laughed. She turned to face Alicia, grinning and clutching four colorful bottles of alcohol.

Alicia eyed the bottles warily. She had never been much of a party girl. She had never even been properly drunk. Drinking and drugs was Nick's thing and Alicia had watched it destroy him... destroy her family.

Elyza seemed to notice her apprehension. "Don't worry, Leashy Loo. I know now is not a good time for getting pissed as a newt. I just want a taste. Gotta wash down the fish-gut flavor. Though I don't think even petrol could drown that aftertaste."

She let out a low whistle, examining the bottles. "This is some premium, top-shelf, high-class, grog."

Finally she selected one and uncapped it. "To those we've lost." She said solemnly, raising the bottle into the air before her and then taking a slug. She offered the bottle to Alicia. "Smooth."

Alicia hesitated a moment.

"Come on..." Elyza encouraged. "Don't make me drink with the flies."

Alicia timidly accepted the bottle. _Surely a taste wouldn't hurt._ She held it out before her as Elyza had done. "To those we shall soon find."

The whiskey burned her throat like fire, instantly bringing heat to her belly. She coughed, her eyes watering, her throat stinging. "Smooth." She choked out, while Elyza laughed at her.

Elyza snagged the bottle, took one more deep slug, and pushed it aside. "We'll save the rest for ron."

"Who's Ron?" Alicia asked, confused.

"Huh?" Elyza replied, just as confused.

"You said you're saving the rest for Ron." Alicia said.

"Oh." Elyza laughed. "Not _Ron_... _ron."_

"Later on." She explained when Alicia just stared. "I meant we'll save if for the rage when we get our people back."

She left the counter and flopped back onto the sofa. "Rob should be underground by now." She said softly, absentmindedly playing with the tassel on an ugly velvet pillow.

"You're worried about him." Alicia commented, trying to sound casual, praying Elyza could not detect the notes of jealousy in her voice.

"I'm worried about all of them." Elyza corrected her.

Alicia snagged the bottle of whiskey and took another gulp. It still burned on the way down but this time she didn't cough. She could feel the warmth of the alcohol in her belly. _Wasn't whiskey supposed to give you courage?_ She wondered. So far all the alcohol had done was make her stomach feel more unsettled. She stared at the brown liquor, her back to Elyza. "Yet you worry about him more."

"I owe him heaps." Elyza replied simply. "I wouldn't have made it this far without him."

"So you care for him?" Alicia regretted the question as soon as it escaped her lips. _What was wrong with her?_ She wondered if perhaps it was the whiskey talking. But she doubted two tiny swigs could affect her so quickly. No, she couldn't blame the alcohol for her own stupidity. She stared at her hands, blushing, waiting for Elyza's reaction.

"Of course I care for him." Elyza answered. "He's like family to me."

"Family?" Alicia asked, finally raising her gaze to meet Elyza's.

"Yeah, family." Elyza repeated with a laugh. "Like... A brother." She gave Alicia a knowing smirk and Alicia felt the redness in her cheeks deepen. "We're not lovers, if that's what you're asking."

"No... I..." Alicia stammered, cursing herself for always being so transparent, so obvious. "I didn't mean... I just..."

Elyza just laughed again. "Don't worry, Little Coon. You're not the first to think I'm dating Rob. I swear sometimes I think even _he_ thinks we're dating. For real... a hug... a kiss on the cheek, and everyone thinks I'm in love." She rolled her eyes. "But no. I love Rob. But the idea of _loving_ Rob..." she made a face and shuddered.

Alicia laughed and plopped into a fat, cushy armchair across from Elyza, suddenly feeling a lot better. She pulled her sack onto her lap, resting her elbows on Sponge Bob's face.

"Like I said," Elyza continued. "He's like a brother to me. Nice to know that you're worried about my love life, though." She teased. "You cracking onto me?"

"I'm not worried!" Alicia shot back. "I was just... Curious."

"Right." Said Elyza, raising her eyebrows, her cocky smirk widening even further than Alicia thought possible. "Well, I'm single." She announced. "You know... in case you were... _Curious_."

"Thanks for sharing." Alicia replied sarcastically. "I'll alert the media."

Elyza playfully chucked her ugly velvet pillow at Alicia and before Alicia even registered what was happening, her arm was already raised to deflect the blow. The pillow ricocheted off of her arm and thumped against her backpack, sending it toppling towards the floor. In a display of agility, Alicia lunged forward, caught Sponge Bob by a strap and swooped him through the air before he hit the ground.

Elyza looked disappointed. "You and your fucking ninja skills." She mumbled, shaking her head but smiling.

"Did you know him before the Ark, then?" Alicia asked, still curious about Elyza's relationship with Rob.

"Who?" Elyza asked, confused.

"Rob." Alycia giggled. She couldn't help but smile as she realized Elyza's thoughts had already wandered from him.

"Oh, yeah." Elyza answered, relaxing back against the cushions. "I knew them all... Rob, Mary, Crow, Chelsea, Devin, Kris, Katy, Jared, Richerd..."

"Richerd?" Alicia asked, wracking her brains. She was pretty sure she hadn't heard anyone mention a Richerd. "Was he taken too?"

"We don't know where the hell he is." Elyza answered with a shrug. "But no one is really worried. Richerd doesn't exactly play well with others. Round the Ark, he's 'bout as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip. He's always going AWOL. And every time we think he might be deadset gone for good, he shows up again, usually covered in blood, but always alive. He'd love your backpack, by the way. Bloke has a strange obsession with Sponge Bob."

"But, anyways..." She continued. "Yeah... We all knew each other." She paused for a nostalgic smile. "We all had a... _Class_ together."

The way she said 'class' made Alicia suspicious. "You weren't all in the same year, though?" She asked. "I mean Rob is clearly older than Mary. Was it like an elective or something?"

Elyza chuckled. "No, it definitely wasn't an elective. We all met in the nick."

Alicia just stared blankly. "The nick?"

"You know..." Elyza laughed. "Lock-up... The brig... The dungeons... The second level of hell, the first, of course, being at home with my mother."

Alicia was still confused.

"We were all in detention together." Elyza finally explained. "Long-Term Detention. Well..." She corrected herself. "Not Crow, the goddamn dux honor student, would-be-valedictorian. Crow only joined our group because of Tom."

"Tom?" Alicia asked, sure no one had mentioned a Tom before either.

Elyza's face dropped. "He didn't make it." She said, sadly. Alicia got the feeling Elyza didn't want to talk about Tom. She didn't press it.

"So your crew is a bunch of juvenile delinquents?" Alicia laughed, trying to lighten the mood again. "No wonder you've all survived so well. So..." She raised her brows at Elyza. "What did you do to get thrown in detention?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" Elyza answered with a devilish smile.

"What? You're not gonna tell me?" Alicia asked. "You want me to guess?"

Elyza cocked her head to the side, raising a single brow. She put a palm in the air. "I'll give you five guesses."

"This could be a dangerous game," Alicia said warily. But she accepted the challenge. "OK... Uhhh... You got caught with alcohol."

"Nope." Elyza bent her thumb.

"Drugs?" Alicia asked.

"Nope." Elyza said again, lowering another finger. "That was Devin and Kris." She laughed. "They pretty much had their own pharmacy running out of their lockers."

"Cutting classes?" Alicia asked.

"Naw, Mary was the one always waggin' school." Elyza answered. "She was always disappearing, wandering off. One minute she was on her way to class, the next it was like the floor had swallowed her up. Eventually she'd turn up again. I'm pretty sure most of the times she disappeared she was sneaking off with boys. But once we found her holed up in a tiny storage closet just taking a nap on a pile of deflated dodgeballs."

"OK..." Alicia was running out of fingers. "Cheating?"

"Naw." Elyza shook her head with a shrug. "Never needed to cheat. Believe it or not, Crow wasn't the only honor student in our crew. Don't get me wrong," She said throwing her hands out in front of her defensively, lest Alicia get the wrong impression of her. "I wasn't a conch like Crow. Teachers loved Crow. They hated me. I spent more time sleeping in class than studying, but... I don't know... School was easy for me. Piece of piss. I guess you could say I'm pretty smart." She shrugged. "Woulda had a 4.0 if I'd bothered to do the fuckin' homework." She laughed.

She lowered another finger. "Careful, Coon." She warned, wiggling her pinky finger at Alicia with a taunting smile. "You only have one more guess."

"Hmmm..." Alicia stalled. "You don't seem like the thieving type..." She mumbled, hoping to eliminate an option without technically using her guess. Elyza gave her a sly smile. She knew Alicia's strategy, but she allowed it anyway.

"Jared's the thief." She said. "Got sprung nicking random shit from the staff room... The library... Computer room... Woodshop. Boy's got sticky fingers." She laughed.

"Alright." Alicia said. "That leaves two options: fighting or pulling some kind of stupid prank."

"Nope." Elyza answered with a smug smile. "Tom was the prankster. Fair dinkum larrikin. Chelsea and Katy were in for fighting. Lucky thing our school had metal detectors or Katy woulda been up shit creek without a paddle. Funny enough... Those two are besties now."

Elyza closed her fist dramatically and pumped it in the air. "You're out of guesses Little Coon! Which means, I win!"

"Congratulations." Alicia replied, sarcastically. "What do you want? A cookie?"

"I didn't see any lamingtons in the cupboards." Elyza answered. "So how 'bout a pash?"

She wiggled her eyebrows up and down at Alicia, grinning.

"Do I dare ask what the hell a 'pash' is?" Alicia asked nervously. "Is that some kind of 'chokkie' bar?"

"Naw." Elyza laughed. "I can fossick up my own chokkie bars without your help. A pash is a big ole' kiss."

"A kiss?" Alicia was taken aback for a second. Her stomach fluttered at the suggestion. Her cheeks burned. But she couldn't tell if Elyza was being serious or not. Elyza sat up, perching herself on the edge of her sofa, leaning towards Alicia expectantly. Alicia's heart was suddenly racing. _Was Elyza being serious?_ The air between them suddenly seemed too thick for breathing. The sudden tension was too much. Alicia couldn't take it. She had to break it before it broke her.

She stood and turned her back on Elyza, moving back towards the counter where the bottle of whiskey still sat, uncapped beside the abandoned caviar. "I dunno..." She teased, trying to sound confident despite her racing pulse. It was a lot easier to fake when those brilliant blue eyes weren't boring into hers. "Rumor has it you're dating Rob."

She snagged the whiskey, took a swig, and turned to face Elyza with a wicked whiskey still burned on the way down, but she was starting to like the warmth it left in her belly, the way the heat battled her butterflies. Elyza made a face as Alicia continued teasing. "I wouldn't wanna upset him. He is a juvenile delinquent, after all. By the way... What did _he_ do?"

"Threw a punch at the principal." Elyza laughed. "Dipstick missed. Otherwise, he would've probably been expelled. Supposedly someone put him up to it, but I doubt he took much convincing. He'd always hated Principal Izaiah. Plus, I think he actually _wanted_ to be thrown in detention so he could keep a closer eye on his sister. Make sure she wasn't wandering off to dark corners with the rest of us delinquents. But..." She paused, cocking her head with her own wicked smile. "Stop trying to distract me. Where's my kiss? I won... I deserve a prize."

She pushed herself off the sofa and strolled towards Alicia as cocky as a strutting peacock, stopping mere inches in front of her. Alicia froze. Those brilliant blue eyes were boring into hers again and with the lip of the counter pressing against her lower back, there was now no way for Alicia to widen the space between them. Unable to hold their gaze, Alicia pulled her eyes from Elyza's. They flickered down her face, along the soft curve of her cheek, darting past the tiny freckle of a mole, and coming to rest nervously on Elyza's plump lips. Alicia swallowed hard, not sure if the burning in her throat was from the whiskey or her own fear.

Suddenly Elyza's lips broke into a wide grin. She laughed, puckered her lips, opening and closing them like a fish, and then laughed again. "I'm just taking the mickey out of you, Lil' Coon. I wasn't really expecting a kiss. I know you've never kissed a girl..." She paused long enough to furrow Alicia's brows. "...quite as intimidatingly beautiful as me." She finished with a smirk.

Alicia's cheeks were burning furiously now. She knew Elyza was only teasing her, but her words were all too true... Her smile all too smug. Alicia never _had_ kissed a girl as beautiful as Elyza. She had never kissed a girl, period. She had barely even kissed any boys, truth be told. As a freshman, boys had hit on her left and right. But she was too focused on her grades, and her soccer, and her painting, and her playing percussion in the school band, and by the time Spring Formal had rolled around, the boys had quit asking. It wasn't until fall of Junior year that Matt's sweet voice managed to pull Alicia's eyes from her canvas long enough to catch her interest. Besides Matt, the only boys she'd ever kissed were Benny Raiker and Evan Gibbons; Benny on the cheek with a "thank you" when her mother had forced her, and Evan on the lips on a triple-dog, double-stamped dare.

So, no... Alicia had never kissed a girl. And Elyza knew that. She had never even _thought_ about kissing a girl. That is, until Elyza. Because, truth be told, she _had_ thought about kissing Elyza. And she was still confused about that. Confused because not only had she _thought_ about kissing her, she had _wanted_ to. Confused because she was _still_ thinking about it and she _still_ wanted to. And Elyza knew _that_ too.

"I just wanted to see you blush." Elyza laughed, still smirking at the confusion written on Alicia's brow and the redness in her cheeks. And her smile was still too smug. And Alicia did not join in on her laughter.

Elyza casually sidestepped Alicia, leaning past her to reach for the whiskey on the counter behind her. But Alicia sidestepped as well, blocking her. Elyza looked at her in surprise, a small frown of confusion replacing her smug grin. Alicia fixed her with a bold glare. Her blood was still racing through her and Alicia was surprised to feel the sudden burn of anger coursing through it. She was tired of blushing under Elyza's knowing glare. She was frustrated with Elyza's ability to see into her so clearly and her own incapacity to hide her emotions. She was angry with her inability to think or even breathe when Elyza moved too close. Elyza had a strange power over her. She knew it. And Elyza knew it. And she was angry about _that_ too.

She didn't know what made her do it, whether it was the echo of Elyza's laughter ringing in her ears or the heat of the alcohol in her stomach now leaking into her blood. Maybe she was finding courage in the whiskey. Maybe she was finding courage in herself. Either way, she clenched her jaw and suddenly she was the one stepping forward, pressing into the inches between them. And Elyza, her face still a mixture of surprise and confusion, was the one backing up.

And suddenly Alicia was speaking, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could even stop to consider them.. "Ok.. Yes. If I said you don't intimidate me, I would be a liar, Elyza. But you're a hypocrite." She began, stepping closer to Elyza again as the girl backed further away, now wearing a confused frown.

"You want me to think you're above it all." Alicia continued with another step. "You paint your eyes black and put on your leather and act like you're not afraid of anything. You pretend to be fearless. But, I see right through you."

Elyza took another step back from Alicia's heat, starting to look flustered. Alicia pressed on. "You're still haunted by the dead long gone. Just like me, you fear the dead still walking. You fear the Under-Grounders. You fear for your friends. And... You fear _me_."

"No, I don't." Elyza protested, even as she took another step back. Suddenly her lower back met the arm of the sofa and Elyza nearly stumbled as her hands flew back to grip the sofa arm. She pressed herself against it, no longer able to back away from Alicia. She glared at Alicia, clearly struggling to maintain her cool composure as Alicia stopped barely inches from her.

"You might make me nervous, but I make you nervous too." Alicia said. "I saw it when you took my hand beside Nick's wrecked truck. I saw it when you gave me Ricki's sword. I see it right now in the blush in _your_ cheeks."

Alicia paused, swallowing hard. Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweating. _What the hell was she doing?_ She suddenly wondered. _Just what the hell kind of whiskey had Elyza given to her?_ She was terrified of what she was saying. And yet she was powerless to stop herself. She had never felt so nervous. She had never felt so bold.

"I frighten you..." Alicia continued. "Because you feel something for me... Something you cannot explain. And that scares you."

Elyza stood frozen before her, holding her gaze. She swallowed hard and nervously wriggled her jaw as if considering whether or not to speak. Or perhaps she was mustering her courage. A moment of intense silence hung in the tiny space between them, the air thick and hot as the L.A. summer.

Finally, Elyza set her jaw then opened her mouth to speak. "No... It doesn't."

The words were simple. Only three little words. But they hit Alicia like a bullet to the stomach. She could feel herself blinking in the heat of Elyza's intense stare. Suddenly she was aware of how close she had pressed into Elyza. She was too close. There wasn't enough air between them. She couldn't breathe. And now she was the one taking a step back as Elyza stared silently at her, studying her face, awaiting her reply.

And Alicia had no reply. Her head was swimming. Even with a foot of space between them now, there still was not enough air. _What the hell had come over her?_ She asked herself. _Had she actually just accused Elyza of having 'feelings' for her? Out loud?!_ And even harder for her to comprehend, _had Elyza just admitted to it?_ Had Alicia misunderstood her, or had Elyza just told her that, not only did she have feelings for her, she also wasn't afraid of them?

As suddenly as it had come upon her, the boldness in her blood abandoned her and, to her chagrin, Alicia once again found herself frozen under Elyza's glare. Once again, she could not think. Once again, she could not breathe. Once again, she was powerless. Elyza was still looking at her expectantly. But Alicia did not know what to do. She did not know what to say. She did not know what to think. She did not even know what to feel.

But it seemed, as usual, that Elyza's hot, blue glare could see right into her. Once again Elyza understood what Alicia could not say; what Alicia could not even understand, herself. It frustrated Alicia to admit it, but it was true... Elyza knew what Alicia was feeling better than Alicia knew it herself.

"You do make me nervous, Little Coon." Elyza admitted. "And yes, whatever this is between us... I feel it. But I don't fear it. _You_ do."

It wasn't an accusation. It was a simple statement and Alicia felt her eyes drop under the weight of its truth. Elyza reached out and lightly touched Alicia's cheek, gently raising Alicia's chin with her thumb until their eyes met again. If possible, Alicia's cheek burned even hotter at Elyza's touch.

"But that's OK." Elyza spoke softly, tenderly.

And then, in a flash, her sympathetic, serious, understanding face broke once again into a cocky grin. She leaned backwards and let herself fall over the sofa's armrest. "I don't need a pash today." She laughed as her body flopped ungracefully sideways onto the cushions. "I can wait."

Alicia let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. In the wake of Elyza's laughter, the tension between them evaporated as quickly as it had arisen. She picked her pack up off the armchair across from Elyza, and flopped back into it feeling drained.

"Still... I _did_ win and I _do_ deserve a prize." Elyza argued. "I guess seeing you blush will have to do. If only you could see how dinky-di cute you are when you blush, you wouldn't blame me for teasing you."

"Yeah, well... If only you could see how goofy you look with that stupid smirk..." Alicia fired back, snatching the ugly velvet pillow from beside her and chucking it back at Elyza. But her anger was gone and she felt herself smiling again. Because Elyza's stupid, goofy smirk was still beautiful and still contagious. "Grinning like Sponge Bob..." Alicia began her insult and then stopped mid-sentence.

"Wait a second... Hold on..." She said, unzipping Sponge Bob's goofy face and reaching into her pack. "I just remembered... I _do_ have a prize for you. I picked you up a present at Walgreens."

"A prezzie?" Elyza replied, scrambling from her lounging into a sitting position, her eyebrows raised in excitement. "You got me a prezzie?"

Alicia tried to conceal her devilish grin as she pulled out the box and tossed it to Elyza.

Elyza's face dropped. "Tampons?" She asked, not even bothering to feign gratitude. "How... Practical."

"Wait," Alicia said between snickers. "There's more."

"Lippy, liner, and polish... All in my favorite color." Elyza said, examining the make-up Alicia tossed into her lap. "Black like my soul." She laughed. "Thanks heaps, Little Coon." This time her voice was genuine and Alicia tried to hide her blush as she mumbled "You're welcome."

Elyza uncapped the nail polish, yanked off a dirty sock, and set to work. "I hope Strand doesn't mind me getting nail polish on his fancy smanchsy carpet." She laughed.

Alicia watched, happily munching on the stale saltines. Four toes and 3 crackers later, Elyza spoke again.

"So..." She broke the comfortable quiet between them. "What will your family do now that Strand left you stranded?"

"I don't know." Alicia replied, popping another cracker. "The plan was to get on that boat. We didn't really have a back up plan. I guess we'll see what Travis and my mom decide to do now. It's never really up to me."

"And if it _were_ up to you?" Elyza asked, examining a shiny, black pinky toenail.

"What do you mean?" Alicia asked through a mouthful of soggy cracker.

"What would you do, if it were up to you?" Elyza repeated.

"I don't know." Alicia answered, swallowing the salty lump and biting her lip thoughtfully.

"Well," Elyza dipped the brush into the polish and sat up to face Alicia. "What do you want?"

"I don't know." Alicia replied, suddenly feeling flustered again. "My brother back?"

"I mean," Elyza clarified. "After we get your brother back?"

"I haven't thought past that." Alicia admitted. It was hard to make plans for the future in such an uncertain world. She had only thought as far as getting her family back together again. Elyza stared at her with her intense blue eyes, chewing her bottom lip and wriggling her jaw as if again deciding whether or not to say something. Alicia's stomach flipped as Elyza finally opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm out of toes." Elyza stated.

"What?" Alicia replied, momentarily confused.

"Give me your feet." Elyza commanded.

"Oh... Right." Alicia replied, her stomach plummeting. _Why was she so disappointed?_ She wondered at herself. _What had she been expecting Elyza to say?_ She pulled off her grungy sneakers and hastily tossed her nasty socks aside, hoping they didn't smell.

Elyza scooted to one end of her sofa, crossing her legs and leaning against the armrest so she faced the other end. Alicia sat down tentatively across from her. Elyza snagged one of her ankles and pulled her closer until her foot rested in Elyza's lap. Alicia tried to sit back and look casual, but her toes were tingling and the disappointment in her stomach had already given way to nervous butterflies again.

Elyza started on her big toe. "You should come back to the Ark with me." She said simply.

Alicia's heart jumped. _That was it_. She realized. _That was what she had been hoping Elyza would say._ And now that she had, Alicia was suddenly tongue-tied. She tried to swallow, her throat dry, as if the last saltine was still lodged in it. She didn't know how to respond.

But it didn't seem like Elyza was expecting a response. She was staring at the shiny black paint on Alicia's toenail as if lost in her own thoughts.

"Can I ask you something... Kinda weird?" She asked slowly.

Alicia just shrugged.

"What color is your blood?" Elyza asked.

"What?" Alicia replied, completely confused by the question.

"What color is your blood?" Elyza repeated the question as simply as if she were asking "what color is your car? Or your bedroom wall?"

"Uhhh..." Alicia replied, no less confused. "Red? What color is _yours_?"

"Mine's red too." Elyza answered.

"Uhhh..." Alicia didn't know how to respond. "Good to know?... I guess."

"Alicia..." Elyza started and then cut herself off.

"Yes?" Alicia asked, still utterly confused. Elyza had her full attention now. She rarely ever called Alicia by her actual name.

Elyza paused from her painting to stare at Alicia, chewing on her lip and wriggling her jaw again.

"What?" Alicia asked, starting to worry. _Why the hell was Elyza acting so strange? Was she messing with her again?_

"I need to tell you something." Elyza said cryptically. "But its going to sound a little whacko. You're not going to believe me."

"What?" Alicia repeated, nervously, not knowing whether to laugh or worry.

Elyza studied her face. "Forget it." She said. "You're already looking at me like I'm batshit crazy."

"Well..." Alicia argued. "You did just ask me what color my blood is..."

"Well..." Elyza argued back. "You never know. Its a legit question."

"In what universe is that a legit question?" Alicia laughed.

"I don't know..." Elyza huffed. "Maybe in a universe where dead people come back to life and try to eat your bloody face off."

"Hmmm... That's actually a good point." Alicia conceded. "Fair enough. What were you going to tell me?"

"Well..." Elyza began, dropping her gaze to Alicia's toes again. "You remember how I told you about how I have nightmares? About how in my sleep I watch strangers die over and over again?"

"Yeah..." Alicia replied, wondering where the hell this conversation was headed now.

"And I told you my worst one's about a..." Elyza began.

Alicia and Elyza both jumped at the sound of the front door creaking open and voices echoing in the entryway. Elyza leapt to her feet and pulled out her gun as Alicia scrambled off the sofa.

"Strand?" A woman's voice called out.

"Mom?" Alicia answered the voice, excitedly.

"Alicia?!" Her mother's shocked face appeared in the doorway. She rushed into the room and pulled Alicia into a bone-crushing hug. Then she took Alicia by the shoulders and shoved her back to an arm's length, frowning furiously at her.

"Where the HELL have you been?" She scolded. "We've been looking everywhere for you! You just take off... In the middle of the night... With Travis's truck... And disappear..." Her mother's face was full of such rage and fear that for half a second Alicia actually worried that she might hit her. But a second later Madison had pulled her back into another suffocating hug. "I thought you were..."

"I'm fine, Mom." Alicia sputtered, struggling to breathe.

"Where the hell's your brother?!" Madison demanded, suddenly pulling out of the hug and shoving Alicia back by the shoulders again. Alicia felt like she might get whiplash. "I swear... If this was _his_ idea... I'm gonna kill him."

"Well..." Alicia stalled, wondering where to begin.


	13. Chapter 13: In the Pasture

13

In the Pasture

They drove back to the Ark in complete silence save for the soft music pouring from the CD player. Not even the sound of Elyza's humming accompanied the harmony of Destiny's Child. Compared to her wild and crazy driving earlier, Elyza was suddenly driving as if possessed by a driver's ed teacher. Or an eighty year old woman. Or an eighty year old driver's ed teacher. Alycia glanced at her in the rearview mirror, trying not to laugh at her perfect posture, the way her hands gripped the wheel at 10 and 2, the way her eyes flickered from mirror to road, to mirror again. There was only one logical explanation for this change in her behavior: Alicia's mother made Elyza nervous, terribly nervous. And it was adorable.

"So this Bob..." Madison said, casting Elyza a sideways glance.

"Rob." Elyza corrected her nervously.

"You have faith in him?" Madison asked, her tone like that of a skeptical interrogator.

"Yes, ma'am." Elyza answered.

"You trust him?" Madison questioned.

"Yes, ma'am." Elyza repeated.

"How well do you know him?" Madison continued, not even pausing long enough for Elyza to answer. "How long.."

"Mom..." Alicia interjected from the backseat. She felt like a twelve year-old again, embarrassed of her mother in front of her friends. "Stop harassing her. They're helping us, remember?"

"I went to school with Rob." Elyza spoke, ignoring Alicia's interjection and politely answering Madison's question. Alicia had to admire Elyza's composure. "Mrs. Clark, if anyone can get your son back safely, it's Rob. You asked if I trust him? Truth is, I'd trust him with my life."

"Let's hope your faith is well placed." Madison sighed, rubbing at her tired eyes. Alicia wondered when her mother had last gotten a good night's sleep. She felt a tinge of guilt, knowing she was largely responsible for her mother's stress.

"Don't worry, Mom," She said, immediately wishing her voice sounded less sassy and more comforting. "We'll get Nick back."

...

The high gate to Arkadia creaked open and they were greeted this time by a teenage girl with a blond ponytail dangling from the back of her baseball cap. She raised a rifle and shot an infected clawing at the driver's side window of Madison's SUV behind them. Alicia could see Travis's stunned face behind its wheel. The girl quickly adjusted her aim and took out two more infected with a "pop, pop" of her rifle. Then she sidled casually up to Elyza's window.

"Commander." She greeted Elyza with an excited smile. She carried a semi-automatic rifle just like Mary had, but instead of a sword, Alicia saw that she had a second rifle strapped across her back. Two additional pistols were holstered at either hip.

"You look deadset ready for war, Katy." Elyza commented, raising her brows at the guns on the girl's hips.

"When do we leave?" Katy asked with a hungry grin.

"I take it you're in?" Elyza laughed.

"Emm said you think they have Chelsea." Katy replied. "Hell yeah, I'm in."

"Good onya." Elyza smiled approvingly. "Who else is in? Henrian? My mother?"

"Yes. Well... Hold on..." She paused, turning her head at the sound of moaning. She raised her rifle almost lazily and another infected's brains splattered across Travis's windshield. She turned back to Elyza and continued her conversation as if she had only paused to sneeze or watch a hot guy stroll by. "Henrian's in. But your mother's..." She paused, frowning. "A bit hesitant. Everyone's talking it over right now down in Zion Hall. You should go talk to them."

"I gotta talk to Crow first." Elyza answered. "I need to know how Rob is doing. This whole thing... Whatever ends up going down... It all hinges on him."

"Last time I checked, Crow was down in the Pasture," Katy answered distractedly, letting off another two rounds. Then she gave Anya a thump on the hood. "All clear!" she called to someone and the gates rolled back to admit them.

...

They found Crow hunched over a desk in an underground room that looked like it had once been a Sunday School classroom. The walls were painted with another huge mural, this time of sheep wandering through bright green fields. Above Crow a smiling young Jesus stood cradling a lamb gently in his arms, another slung over his shoulders. Crow had her head bent over a radio. She was fiddling with its dials, clearly frustrated as nothing but static crackled from it. The tables around her were cluttered with all kinds of junk, miscellaneous science equipment, bits and pieces of electronic gadgets, tools and scraps of metal.

"Elyza," Crow smiled as they entered, rising and limping her way across the classroom to give Elyza a quick hug. Alicia only now noticed the large brace wrapped around Crow's knee.

"Crow." Elyza said, pulling out of the hug. "Any word from Rob and Ricki?"

"I lost touch with them soon as they entered the tunnels." Crow answered. "They were supposed to radio once they got past the guards." She bit her lip, worriedly. "It could just be interference from the... Do not touch that!"

Confused, Alicia followed Crow's angry gaze, turning to see Chris freeze, his outstretched hand hovering over a large tin can full of black powder. Crow limped over to Chris and rotated the can to point to a piece of paper taped to its side. The sign read: "Don't touch. This shit will blow your face off."

"Are you making your own bullets?" Chris asked eagerly.

"Technically, no." Crow answered irritably. "I'm just splitting them. Making one bullet into two. It's simple, but if you don't know what you're doing, well... Read the damn sign."

"Cool." Chris exclaimed, eyeing the pile of empty casings on one side of the can and the neat rows of bullets lined up on its other.

"Maybe we should wait outside." Travis said, snagging Chris's wrist and pulling him away from the bullets.

"You can stay." Crow huffed. "Just don't touch anything. There's a lot of crap in this room that could explode, or catch fire, or burn your eyebrows off."

"Crow likes to make things go 'boom.'" Elyza whispered to Alicia.

"Alright. You got it. I won't touch anything." Chris promised, taking his eyes off the gun powder and turning to eye Crow up and down instead. Alicia couldn't tell which sight brought him more excitement. He wriggled his hand free of his father's and extended it towards Crow.

"I'm Chris, by the way," he said with a smile so hopeless Alicia was embarrassed on his behalf. Crow glanced at his hand, eyebrows raised and lips puckered with a look of superiority that only such a pretty girl could pull off so perfectly. It was a silent dismissal, but she might as well have said "As if!" and waved her ponytail in his face.

"Anyway..." Crow continued, narrowing her eyes at Chris a final time before turning back to Elyza. "Like I said... It could just be radio interference from the tunnels. I told Rob to try different frequencies if he had trouble getting through." She said, fiddling with the radio's dials once again. "But I haven't been able to pick him up on any of the frequencies."

"How long has it been since you lost contact with him?" Madison asked.

Crow looked Madison up and down, assessing her momentarily, before deciding to answer. She glanced at her watch. "One hour... Forty-seven minutes."

"You lost contact TWO hours ago?" Madison exclaimed.

There was a moment of heavy silence before Chris opened his mouth and said what everyone was thinking. "Well ... shit... I'd say he's a goner. What's the back-up plan?"

"I change my mind... Maybe you _should_ wait outside, after all." Crow spat at him as Elyza pushed past her and started fiddling with the radio dials herself. Elyza was clearly trying to hold back her panic.

"Rob could be totally fine." Alicia said, trying to comfort her. "There's plenty of reasons he could be unable to contact us. It doesn't mean he's..."

Elyza wasn't listening. She snagged the radio's mic from Crow's hand and called into it. "Rob? Rob?! Are you there? Come in."

"I don't think there is a back-up plan, Chris." Madison said flatly.

"Take us to the tunnels." Travis spoke. "Let us talk to them. We can reason with them."

"You don't _talk_ to the Under-Grounders." Elyza replied, frustrated. "You have no clue who these people are. You don't just _reason_ with the President." Her voice dropped as she fiddled with the dials, mumbling to herself. "I shouldn't have sent him. It was too dangerous."

"Hey," Crow put a hand on Elyza's, gently pulling her fingers off the dial. "Rob's an Arker. He knows what he's doing."

As if on cue, Rob's whispering voice suddenly crackled over the static. "Crow? Crow? Come in..."

"Rob!" Elyza practically shouted into the mic.

"Elyza?" Rob replied, surprised.

"You're alive!" Elyza said over Crow's laugh of relief. "Thank God."

"Of course I'm alive." Rob replied. "And you can thank Ricki."

Crow snagged the mic from Elyza. "What took you so long?" She scolded. "I've been trying to contact you for an hour and a half! You almost gave me a damn ulcer."

"It's not my fault your radio is a piece of shit." Rob answered. "I tried to radio as soon as Ricki took out the guards. All I kept getting was static. Then, when I got deeper into the tunnels it wasn't exactly safe to talk."

"How'd you get past the guards?" Crow asked.

"It was Ricki's idea." Rob answered. "I pretended to be his prisoner and we walked right up to them. They were so surprised and confused to see Ricki alive that they held their fire long enough for me to stab one while Ricki wrung the other's neck. I would've just shot them, but Ricki pointed out that we should let them turn, make it look like an accident. If the other guards found them with bullets in their foreheads, they'd know it wasn't the infected who'd gotten them."

"Where's Ricki?" Elyza asked. "Did he make it out al..."

Her question was cut short as Madison ripped the mic from her hand. "Have you found my son?" She asked desperately. "Have you found Nick?"

"What?" Rob replied, confused. "Who is this?"

Elyza leaned over the mic in Madison's hand. "Its Alicia's mother. Have you found her brother, Nick yet? Have you found the others?"

"I don't know about Nick." Rob answered. "I don't know how to find him. I don't even know what he looks like and I can't exactly start walking up to strangers and asking them their names. But... You were right, Commander. Our friends are here. I finally spotted Jared and Devin eating dinner in the station they've converted into a cafeteria. I couldn't approach them. There were way too many people. And I don't think they saw me walk by. Chelsea and Kris weren't with them. I'm hiding now, waiting for Jared and Devin to wander off so I can get them alone."

"What are they doing now?" Elyza asked.

"Eating chocolate cake." Rob answered.

"How long until chocolate cake becomes being chopped up and thrown into Arker stew?" Elyza asked grimly.

"How are you going to find my son?" Madison asked again.

"With all due respect, lady." Rob answered. "I'm working on that. I got to get Jared and Devin alone first and see what they know."

"OK." Elyza spoke. "Radio as soon as you talk with them. Stay safe, Rob."

"You got it, Commander." Rob answered. "Hit choda op nodotaim."

"Nodotaim." Elyza whispered back as Rob's voice gave way to static once again.

...

Alicia and Elyza sat in awkward silence as Madison paced the room behind them. Crow had taken Chris and Travis to find some food, but Madison had refused to leave the room, or, more specifically, the radio. Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty.

"What does 'hit choda op nodotaim mean?'" Alicia finally broke the silence.

"Huh?" Elyza replied, distractedly. "Oh... It's Trigslang." she answered.

At the confused look on Alicia's face, she explained, "it's a sort of code language we came up with while mucking around during the many hours of detention. Well, it's mostly just a few phrases and a bunch of cuss words we made up. I guess you could call it a side effect of chronic boredom. Detention was always held in the trigonometry classroom, hence the name Trigslang. Anyways, 'hit choda op nodotaim' means..." she hesitated, frowning. "You know what? You don't need to know what it means, because I never want to say it to you. And I don't ever want to hear you say it to me."

She pulled her bottle of nail polish from her pocket and started painting her fingernails. Alicia watched, only now remembering their conversation that had been interrupted earlier. She wondered what it was Elyza 'needed' to tell her, but with Madison pacing right behind them, she figured now wasn't the time to ask.

Seven fingernails later, Rob's voice suddenly cut through the static. "Elyza? Crow? Anybody there?"

"I'm here." Elyza answered, pushing her nail polish aside and grabbing the mic excitedly. It seemed that, like Alicia's left foot, Elyza's left hand would remain only half painted.

"Guess who else is here?" A new voice spoke out of the radio.

"Devin!" Elyza exclaimed.

"And me. I'm here too." A third voice spoke.

"Jared." Elyza answered. "Man, its good to hear your voices. We thought you were both dead."

"If I had a dollar for every time you all thought I was dead..." Devin laughed. "I'd have... Well, now that the economy's pretty much gone to shit and dollars are useless... I guess I'd have a lot of green toilet paper."

"Devin." Elyza replied. "Stop rambling like a whacker and tell us what the hell's going on. Where are Chelsea and Kris? Are they OK?"

"Chelsea disappeared yesterday." Jared's voice answered. "She was assigned to the kitchens a week ago and a few days later she came back to the sleeping quarters all freaked out. She said she found a toenail in the 'hamburger' she was cooking. A _human_ toenail. We had already had suspicions, but now we knew for sure that wasn't beef hamburger. We told her not to say anything, but somehow they must have found out that she knew. She never showed for breakfast yesterday. The soldiers told us she was taken to the infirmary. Kris demanded to see her. He didn't show up for lunch."

"We stopped asking questions." Devin's voice cut in. "We think they've been watching us. But we also think we might know where they took them. Chelsea said the butchers always brought the meat up from an access tunnel running below the kitchen platform. We were going to try to sneak down there tonight during 3rd watch, when there aren't as many guards around and check it out."

"What time is that?" Elyza asked.

"Two." Jared answered.

"If they're down there," Rob spoke. "We'll get them out. We'll radio back as soon as we know. Maybe in the meantime, you could think of an exit strategy for us? I mean... One that's better than my plan."

"What's your plan?" Elyza asked.

"Pick a random tunnel... Hope there's only a couple of guards... Tackle them from behind..."

"OK." Elyza said, "Let's just call that the 'back-up plan.' You focus on finding them. I'll come up with a way out."

"What about my son?" Madison demanded.

"If he's down there, we'll get him out too." Rob answered with all the confidence in the world.

"And if he isn't there?" Madison asked.

"Then you better get Jakey ready for the trade." Rob answered.

"Jakey?" Jared's voice cut back in. "You have Jakey?"

"Yeah." Elyza answered. "You know him?"

"The prick that's always hitting on Chelsea?" Devin chimed in. "Yeah... She told us all about him. He's the President's son."

"The President's son?!" Elyza repeated. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Devin answered. "He's a total privileged dick."

Elyza's wide blue eyes met Alicia's and a smile slowly crossed her face. "Holy dooly! We just got ourselves some leverage."


	14. Chapter 14: Numbers

14

Numbers

"Amerson was full of shit." Elyza said excitedly, leading the way down the church's wide hallway. " _Just some boy..._ we caught the President's goddamn son! The President may be a heartless fuck-bucket, but even _he's_ not gonna risk his own son's life."

"You think he might actually honor our deal and give us Nick back?" Alicia asked hopefully.

"Naw..." Elyza answered. "He's not just gonna hand Nick over. Nothing in my life ever works out that easily. He'll have something up his sleeve. But I don't think he'll be stupid enough to deliver us Nick's head in a box like Amerson threatened. He's going to want Jakey back alive, so he'll keep Nick alive... Mary!" She called, spotting Mary strolling down the hall towards them, looking pissed. "Meeting's over?"

"Yeah. It ended like twenty minutes ago." She replied. "Where the hell were you?"

"Talking to your brother." Elyza answered, ignoring Mary's sass.

"Is he OK?" Mary asked worriedly. "Is Ricki OK? Did they get in?"

"Of course we did." A deep voice answered as Ricki rounded the hall's corner.

"Ricki!" Mary called out, running to embrace him. He wrapped his strong arms around her, lifting her tiny frame right off the ground. Then he gently set her back down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Elyza sidled up to them and gave Ricki a quick hug. "Rob's fine." She informed him. "Gives all the credit to you, mate. He found Devin and Jared but they don't have Kris or Chelsea. They disappeared yesterday. But Devin and Jared think they might know where they are being held."

"Being held?" Mary repeated, worried. "That's assuming that they haven't already been... How long do they keep them alive before the slaughter?"

"Hopefully longer than a day." Elyza answered. "Because Rob won't be able to get them out until later tonight."

"That's assuming that they're where they think they are." Mary cut in again.

"I know..." Elyza said irritably. "We're assuming a lot. But that's all we can do right now, besides cross our bloody fingers and hope we're right. Anyway... It's Rob's job to find them. It's our job to figure out a way to get them out."

"That's assuming Rob finds them." Mary said.

Elyza just glared at her. "Ricki... I'm going to need your help again. How well do you remember the layout of the tunnels?"

"There's a maze of tunnels down there." Ricki answered. "But the Under-Grounders have blocked off most of them. Most Under-Grounders only use a few main stations and tunnels. I know them like the back of my hand. But there are some smaller stations and side tunnels only the President, the guards, and the soldiers are allowed to use. Once I learned the truth about the mystery meat and decided I needed to get out, I tried to sneak around in search of an exit. I didn't get very far. But I mapped out what I could in my journal."

"You're shitting me!" Elyza exclaimed. "You have a map drawn out?! Ace! Why didn't you say anything? Go get it!"

"Sorry." Ricki answered, shaking his head. "I meant I _had_ a map drawn out in my _old_ journal. I had to leave it behind when I fled."

Elyza's face dropped.

"But during those three days I drew the tunnels over and over again looking for a weak spot, trying to memorize it in case I suddenly needed to flee." Ricki added. "I can probably recreate most of it."

"OK." Elyza said, trying to muster her hope. "Do your best. I'll meet you down in the Pasture when I can."

"Got it, Commander," Ricki replied.

Elyza turned to Mary. "So... The meeting... How many people are in?"

Mary shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot. "Uh..." She stalled. "Let's see... There's Henrian..." She began, mumbling and ticking the names off on her fingers. "Katy... Me... Ricki... Adeena... Uhh..."

Elyza stared at her impatiently.

"There's eleven." She finally admitted, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly and looking anywhere but at Elyza.

"Eleven?!" Elyza replied. "Eleven?! We're balls up now! You were supposed to recruit people! You were supposed to get Henrian to talk everyone into it. What happened?"

"Your mom happened." Mary answered, her voice defensive and sassy. "I tried to convince everyone. I could've used your help."

"I was a little busy." Elyza fired back.

"Hey... There's no point in fighting." Ricki interrupted in his soft, deep voice. He put a hand on Mary's shoulder as if worried he might have to hold her back. "So we have eleven. Plus your crew." He said, turning to Alicia. "How many are there in your crew?"

"Uhh..." Alicia stalled just as Mary had done moments ago. "My mom..." She ticked them off on her fingers, though it was clearly unnecessary. "Travis... Chris... Three." She finally admitted.

"Right..." Ricki replied, trying to sound optimistic. "So that's fourteen. Plus you two makes sixteen."

"Sixteen." Elyza said flatly, shaking her head.

"Uhh... Babe?" Mary said to Ricki in a small voice. "I already counted them in our eleven."

"Great!" Elyza said sarcastically. "So we have _four_ teen. What the fuck are we going to do with fourteen people? How are we going to intimidate the President into making the trade _and_ get Rob out with fourteen people?"

"Oh... Uhh..." Mary spoke up again. "I may have counted Rob in the eleven as well."

Elyza just stared at her. "Where the hell's my mum?"

...

"I'm sorry, Elyza," Elyza's mom said, pausing to flick the tip of a syringe. "But we can't risk all of our people on a half-baked mission to get back a couple of kids." She finished, driving the needle into her patient's arm. The old woman flinched, but if she let out a moan, Alicia did not hear it over the sound of Elyza's angry voice.

"They're not just a couple of kids, Mom." She argued. "They have names! Devin... Kris... Chelsea..."

"I know their names, Elyza." Payge interrupted. "I don't need to be reminded."

"Clearly you do." Elyza spat at her. "Chelsea... Jared... Rob... They're my mates. They're our people. We don't abandon our people!"

"Do you think this is easy for me?" Payge fired back. "Do you think I _want_ to abandon those kids? But we have to think about the whole group. We don't have the numbers or the resources to start a war with the Under-Grounders. What if they retaliate and attack the Ark? Our walls barely keep the dead out. How long do you think they will stand against an army of the living?"

" _Start_ a war?" Elyza replied. "They've already started one, Mum. They've already attacked us. They've claimed our people... Taken them prisoner. How is that _not_ an act of war?"

"They haven't attacked the Ark." Payge retaliated. "They claimed those kids when they wandered onto their territory. We all know the risks involved each time we step outside these walls."

"Are you seriously suggesting..." Elyza responded, "that it's OK for the Under-Grounders to claim anyone who steps onto 'their' territory? What gives them the right to mark an area as 'theirs?'" She paused, clenching her jaw, her nostrils flared and her blue eyes ablaze.

"No!" She exclaimed. "They cannot claim entire areas of the city. And they cannot claim people. What if it wasn't _those kids_?" Elyza asked. "What if it had been _me_ who had wandered onto their territory? What if _I_ had been claimed? Would you still be hiding here, cowering behind these walls?"

Payge looked up from her clipboard, frowning at Elyza. But it seemed she had no answer. She turned away from Elyza. "You're all set, Elke." She said to the old woman, fighting to maintain her composure. "I want to see you again next week. Schedule a time with Sachen on your way out."

"No." Elyza spoke to her mother's back. "Its not OK. We've lived in fear of the Under-Grounders for too long. I'm not playing by their rules any longer. I'm getting my mates back, with or without your help." Elyza turned her back on her mother and strode quickly across the infirmary. She paused in the door frame and spoke one last time, her voice low and cold. "I don't know why I asked. Of course you would let them claim me. It wouldn't be the first time you abandoned your family."

And without another word, Elyza disappeared into the hall. Alicia lingered just long enough to see Elyza's mother drop onto the edge of a cot. She cradled her face in her hands and let out a tired sigh as Alicia slipped silently from the room.

Alicia had to jog to catch up to Elyza. "My mum's right." Elyza admitted as Alicia fell into step beside her. Her voice was still tinged with anger and frustration, but she was careful not to direct it at Alicia. "If they retaliate... If the Under-Grounders find us, we would never be able to defend this place. Even with our wall, we don't have the numbers. And even if we get your brother back... Even if we get my mates out... That won't be the end of this. Even if they didn't wage a full attack on the Ark, there's nothing to stop them from claiming more of us. They've only taken four of us so far... I mean," She added quickly "five of us, counting your brother. But they've been preying on people in this area since the beginning. Adeena's crew, before we took in what was left of them, was camped smack-fucking-dab in the middle of their territory. They lost half their crew before they figured out what was happening. Motherfucking Under-Grounders..." She mumbled.

Alicia didn't reply. It seemed Elyza needed to vent and Alicia was just there to offer her a pair of sympathetic ears.

"I mean," Elyza continued. "Its not bad enough that the fucking dead try to eat you every time you step outside? We have to worry about the fucking _living_ trying to eat us too? And we're supposed to just be OK with that? Its bullshit! We are survivors too. We have just as much a right to this city as they do. We have just as much a right as they do to visit Walgreens when we need some goddamn tampons. We shouldn't have to live in fear of them. Don't we deserve better than that?"

"Maybe we do." Alicia answered.

Elyza stopped, grabbing Alicia by the wrist and turning towards her. Her blue eyes were aflame. Alicia could almost feel their heat. "I want them dead." Elyza said, her voice soft and cold. "I want them all dead."

Alicia nodded, but she couldn't conceal the doubt on her face. "How?" Was all she asked.

Elyza turned and began walking again, still holding Alicia by the wrist. Alicia wondered if Elyza could feel the blood pulsing through her wrist; if she knew her heart was racing.

"I don't know." Elyza answered, simply. "I don't know."

...

"The four main stations are linked by these tunnels here." Ricki explained, tracing his finger along the whiteboard where he had drawn a rough blueprint of the Under-Grounders' tunnel system. Alicia didn't know how accurate the drawing was, but she had to admire Ricki's skills. It seemed she was not the only artist in the room.

"They've converted these trains into sleeping quarters." Ricki continued. "They use this station for food prep and meal times. The kitchen's here, which means if Devin and Jared are right, they're holding Chelsea and Kris somewhere below here."

Elyza studied the map. "What's with the Chrissie colors?" She asked.

"Green tunnels lead to the surface." Ricki explained. "The red tunnels... Either I don't know where they lead, or they've been blocked off by the Under-Grounders." He said, pointing to black X's drawn over sections of the red tunnels. Alicia couldn't help but notice the board was a lot more red then green.

"This is the access tunnel I snuck Rob in through." He pointed at a small green tunnel in the bottom right corner of the board.

"That's a long ways from the kitchen." Alicia observed. "It's practically the opposite end."

"I know." Ricki said, disappointed. "I don't think that using that tunnel again is a viable option. They'd have to cover a whole lot of ground to get to it."

"So the closest green tunnel to the kitchen's this one?" Elyza asked. "Could we use this one?"

Ricki shook his head. "That tunnel surfaces at El Monica, this little station here... Which happens to be located right beside an old water treatment facility. They get their water from the reservoirs there, so its always crawling with Under-Grounders and guards. I think our best bet is to have them come out at Sequoia Roja Station, here, through this tunnel. Its less frequented, but its big enough that it will still probably have at least five or six guards manning it. _OR_ they could use this access tunnel here, which would probably only have two or three guards, but it means crossing through the dining area and skirting these sleeping quarters, here, before they could get to it. Either way, its not going to be easy."

"Bout as easy as spearing an eel with a spoon." Elyza mumbled. "Or pushing shit uphill with a toothpick."

"Which station is closest to the Walgreens?" Alicia asked.

"I think the Walgreens is above right about here." Ricki answered. "Which puts it closest to this access tunnel. But its been blocked. So I'm guessing they will use this station, here, Mesa Alta, about four blocks to the West."

"And where's the Ark on here?" Elyza asked.

"We're about here," Ricki said, stepping to the right and pointing at a spot about a foot off the board, his finger tapping the fluffy tail of a lamb frolicking on the Pasture's wall.

"OK..." Elyza said, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. "Let me see if I got this straight... If we send Rob's team to Sacagawea Rohan Station..."

"Sequoia Roja Station." Ricki corrected her.

"Whatever... _this_ station." Elyza said, smudging her finger across the station. "We'll need to send at least two people to help take out the guards and extract them. If we send them _here,_ Rob could probably handle the two or three guards on his own. _But_ he'd have to get them all through a whole heap of open tunnel first... We have a whopping thirteen of us." She paused turning away from the board to face them. "By the way, did I mention I fucking hate the number thirteen?"

"Me too." Alicia said. Ever since Alicia could remember learning to count she'd always had a strange aversion to the number thirteen. It wasn't a superstitious thing. She'd hated the number long before she knew you were supposed to distrust it. She had no logical reason for disliking it. But of all the numbers, there was only one other for which she had such a strange dislike. "Thirteen and three-o-seven." She said.

"Three-o-seven?" Elyza asked, taken aback. "Did you say three-o-seven? I fucking hate that number too!"

"Personally, I've never liked the number three-o-nine." Ricki chimed in. "My locker was three-o-nine and it was always getting jammed."

"Uhhh... This is fascinating and all..." Mary interrupted with a yawn. "But can we get back to the plan, you weirdos?"

Elyza was still staring at Alicia, looking confused. "Right." She said, blinking and shaking her head as if to clear it. "There's thirteen..." She spat the number as if it tasted bad in her mouth. "...of us if we go with option number two. Eleven if we go with Sephora Raha Station."

"Sequoia Roja Sta..." Ricki began.

"Whatever." Elyza cut him off impatiently. "I'm assuming the President isn't gonna trust an ass-wipe like Amerson to get his precious son back in one piece. So I bet he'll show his ugly face, and I doubt he'll be coming alone. We should have at least one lookout with a walkie positioned somewhere near..." She pointed at the station near the Walgreens and gave Ricki an annoyed look.

"Mesa Alta Station." He supplied.

"Right." Elyza continued. "And at least two or three snipers positioned on the roofs overlooking the trade in case they try anything. Crow needs to stay here to relay messages between Rob and the rest of us. That leaves..." She counted her fingers. "Six of us... Nine at the most... To intimidate the President into making the trade."

"And if the President rolls up with thirty men?" Mary asked.

Elyza hesitated, chewing her lower lip. "I guess we kill Jakey."

"And then what?" Alicia wondered out loud. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"The President kills you all." A voice answered from behind, making Alicia jump.

She turned to see Payge standing in the doorway, flanked by Crow and a handsome bearded man Alicia had yet to meet.

"If I'm going to sanction this mission," Payge said. "I'm going to need to hear a better plan than that."


	15. Chapter 15: Plans

15

Plans

Alicia rubbed at her burning eyes as Elyza nudged her again. "What time is it?"

"Two-thirty-seven." Alicia answered, groggily. "Exactly two minutes later than the last time you asked."

"He should've radioed by now." Elyza said for the third time, her voice a mixture of worry, annoyance, and exhaustion. "What's taking so long?"

"I suppose it takes as long as it takes." Alicia shrugged.

Elyza gave her an 'are you serious?' glare. "Any more helpful words of wisdom, Little Coon?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yeah..." Alicia replied. "Maybe you should get some rest. I can wake you when he radios."

"Maybe _you_ should get some rest." Elyza replied sassily.

"Maybe you _both_ should get some rest." Chimed in Madison, who had recently rejoined them in their vigil after disappearing for a four hour nap. Alicia had to admit she was jealous. Her brain was throbbing behind her forehead. They had spent hours revising the plan and still hadn't come up with anything particularly satisfying. If she gave her approval, Elyza's mother figured she could talk another twenty people into joining the cause. Even still, there was a good chance they would be outnumbered and out-gunned if it came down to a shoot off, which is what most everyone seemed to think they were getting themselves into.

"Elyza? Crow?" Alicia straightened in her chair at the sound of Rob's voice finally cracking through the speakers.

"About time, Rob." Elyza scolded.

"You want the good news or the bad?" Rob asked in a cryptic voice.

Elyza didn't reply. Alicia wondered if Rob could sense her annoyance through the silence. A moment later he answered his own question. "Good news is we found Chelsea and Kris. They're being kept in kennels in a room below the kitchens. Bad news is that they're not alone."

"What do you mean?" Elyza asked. "There's guards?"

"Yes, of course." Rob answered. "But I wasn't talking about the guards. I mean there's about twenty other people caged down there with them."

Elyza frowned at the radio, seemingly still confused. "And?"

"And I'm not leaving them behind." Rob answered.

"What do you mean?" Elyza asked again, clenching her jaw as stress clearly replaced her confusion.

"You know what I mean." Rob answered. "I can't leave them behind... Caged like dogs. They're innocent people."

"They're not _our_ people." Elyza sighed. But Alicia could tell that her heart wasn't in the argument. As bad-ass as she appeared on the outside, Alicia could see right through her. She had a soft heart under all that black leather and eye liner. She was compassionate. Alicia knew she wanted to save those people as much as Rob did.

"There _someone's_ people." Rob answered. "I'm not leaving them behind. So..."

"We're going to need a new extraction plan." Elyza finished for him, dropping the mic with another tired sigh.

Madison snagged it. "What about my son?" She asked. "Is he down there?"

"I don't know." Rob admitted. "There were two guards in the room. We found a way to get into the ventilation system so we could look in. But we couldn't exactly walk in and start taking names. If he's there, we'll get him out. We can take down two guards easy enough. But I think we should wait to hear the plan before we start breaking cages open."

"Right-o." Elyza replied, leaning over the mic in Madison's hand. "Hang tight, Rob. Hit choda op nodotaim."

"Nodotaim, Commander." Rob replied. "Nodotaim."

"How the hell are we going to sneak out a group of twenty-five people?" Elyza asked, plopping her head down against the table hard enough to rattle the clutter perched atop it. A few of Crow's empty bullet casings wobbled, rolled off the table, and clinked against the floor. "To extract twenty-five people we're going to need an army." She mumbled into the wood, dejectedly. "Or a really big-ass distraction."

"Let's be real." Alicia said, wriggling her jaw, thinking. She had a sudden idea. But she knew it was a _bad_ idea. A _really bad_ idea. "We're probably going to need both. And I think we might just have both."

"What are you talking about?" Elyza asked, lifting her head to look at her, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. A red line divided the wrinkles where the table's edge had pressed into her skin. "Even if my mum gets the whole fucking Ark on board, its a stretch to call us an 'army.'"

"I'm not talking about our crew." Alicia replied.

"You have a bunch of cobbers I don't know about?" Elyza asked doubtfully.

"I'm talking about another army." Alicia replied. "One that can take out the tunnels from the inside."

"I would hardly call a group of twenty-five mostly unarmed, weak, half-starved prisoners an 'army' either." Madison cut in.

"I'm not talking about Rob's crew either." Alicia said, leaning in her chair to pick the bullet shells off the ground. She rolled them in her palm. This was a _terribly bad_ idea. "We need to wake up Crow."

...

"OK... Let's go over this one more time." Crow said, running her fingers through her ponytail and shaking her head as if she already didn't believe a word of what she was about to say. "You know... Just to make sure I understand the..." She paused as if she couldn't even deign to call Alicia's idea a 'plan.'

"You want me to _intentionally_ blow the chains on the Meeting House. You know..." She paused dramatically. "The chains that have kept us alive the last three weeks? Those chains?" She paused again to shake her head some more before continuing.

"OK... So we blow those chains and the hundreds of infected trapped inside come out real nice and orderly and all polite-like. And some poor sucker leads them from the Ark in a procession, two-by-two, like some goddamn modern day Noah. Meanwhile, you're off making the simple, friendly trade for Nick and distracting the President from the fact that Rob is busy killing guards and freeing our people from their kennels. Still meanwhile, I blow the shit out of Mesa Alta, simultaneously eliminating their defenses and creating a big-ass entrance into the tunnel system, while somehow creating enough noise and fire to lure our army of infected away from our Noah and straight into the tunnels. Complete and utter chaos ensues... The Under-Grounders are overwhelmed by the infected... And Rob and our people slip right out the back to meet a team that has already eliminated the guards and is waiting with bouquets of flowers to greet them. All of our people return to the Ark victorious. The Under-Grounders are left more crippled than I am. Their reign of terror over the city comes to a glorious end. And we can go back to serving OJ and donuts every Sunday in the Meeting House." She ended with a soft golf clap.

"Did I miss anything?" She paused. "The part where Jesus descends from a rainbow in the clouds on the back of a shining unicorn and leads us all off into the sunset?"

Elyza completely ignored Crow's sarcasm. She was smiling at Alicia, her puffy red eyes now wide awake and ablaze with excitement. "It's fucking, dinky-di, brilliant."

"No... it's fucking, dinky-di, _crazy_." Crow corrected her.

"Can you do it?" Alicia asked. "I mean... Do you have everything you need to make that kind of explosion?"

"Of course I can do it." Crow answered with an impatient roll of her eyes. "I can make anything go 'boom.'"

"But that's not the point." She added with an exasperated sigh as Elyza and Alicia exchanged grins. "There's so much that could go wrong with this plan! So many ways it could go south!"

She paused, looking from Elyza to Alicia to Elyza again, clearly frustrated that she didn't seem to be getting through to them. "It's fucking crazy! Pinche loco!" She repeated as Elyza and Alicia just blinked at her. "The chances of everything working..." She paused and let out a final sigh of defeat. "I'll go get your mom."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Alicia asked, plunking down on the edge of Crow's cot as she left the room. "Crow's right... It is a crazy idea."

"Its also the best idea we have." Elyza answered, plopping down beside her and resting her hand reassuringly on Alicia's knee.

Alicia tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered into her stomach at Elyza's touch. This was no time for butterflies.

"Blowing those chains could put the whole Ark at risk." She said. "If they don't follow our Noah... You could lose the Ark... Your home... Your friends... Everything and everyone."

"I'm not going to lose everything." Elyza replied adamantly. "This is going to work. And I'm not going to lose everyone. I refuse to!" She dropped her voice a notch. "Not everyone..." She paused, staring at Alicia so intensely Alicia swore she could feel the heat of Elyza's eyes burning her cheeks. "Not _you."_

The heat in Alicia's cheeks was suddenly spreading. Her palms were sweating. The skin on her knee was burning beneath Elyza's fingertips. Elyza was still staring at her, so close that the very air between them seemed heated, as if electrically charged. Alicia suddenly felt dizzy. Her heart was racing and she was having trouble breathing. Elyza's gaze flickered to her lips and Alicia wondered if she just might pass out as she realized Elyza was about to kiss her.

The door creaked open and Alicia jumped to her feet so quickly it made her head spin. She stood there awkwardly, her face flushed, her hands folded behind her like a child caught touching something very much off-limits. Elyza, on the other hand remained seated on the edge of the bed looking completely unfazed, nonplussed. Crow and Payge stared at the two of them in confusion for a moment before Payge gave Alicia a concerned look.

"Are you OK, Alicia?" She asked, as behind her, Crow broke into a fit of giggles. "You look like you might be sick."

"Yeah..." Alicia sputtered, flustered. "I'm fine. I just... I haven't slept much."

"You should get some rest." Payge said, pressing the back of her hand against Alicia's forehead in that way that only mothers can. "You're burning up."

This time Elyza let out a snicker too. Alicia could see her smirking behind Payge's back, looking pleased with herself. "My mom's right." She said. "You should try to get a little shut eye. At least a couple hours. You can sleep in my room. Crow, will you take her?"

"Sure." Crow shrugged, fighting the giggles and trying to hide her knowing smirk.

Still too flustered to argue, Alicia followed Crow out of the room as Elyza turned to her mother and spoke. "We need to call an emergency meeting. We have a plan!"


	16. Chapter 16: Flightless Bird

16

Flightless Bird

"Elyza thinks she's in charge around here." Crow laughed, leading Alicia down the hall. "That's why we call her 'Commander'... Because she's so damn bossy. Funny thing is it must run in the family because her mom thinks _she's_ the one in charge. But everyone knows its really _me_ who's in charge." She laughed again. "I mean... While they're arguing about shit, _I'm_ the one who actually gets shit done."

"Ok..." Alicia replied. "I get why they call her 'Commander.' But... Your real name's Lindsay, right? Why does everyone call you 'Crow?' I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone."

"Let me guess..." Crow replied, rolling her pretty brown eyes. "Elyza said its 'cause I'm always talking shit, right? Caw-caw, caw-caw... _Caca,_ _caca,_ right?'"

"Actually," Alicia laughed. "That's what Mary said, not Elyza. Elyza couldn't give me a legit answer. She said Crow must be yanky slang for figjam."

"That puta called me a figjam?" Crow asked, her face a conflicted mixture of offense and amusement.

"Yeah... But I didn't get a chance to ask her what that means." Alicia shrugged.

"It's what stuck-up Aussies call stuck-up non-Aussies." Crow answered. "Stands for 'Fuck I'm Good, Just Ask Me."

"Oh." Alicia replied, trying not to laugh. "Anyways... Ricki said he always figured people call you Crow 'cause you're so smart and crows are the smartest of the birds."

"Aww..." Crow smiled. "Ricki would say that. He's such a sweetheart. Way too good for Mary, if you ask me." She laughed.

"So...?" Alicia asked.

Crow's face grew serious for once. "Tom gave me the nickname when we were little." She answered.

"Tom?" Alicia asked, searching her memory. "The prankster?"

"Is that how Elyza described him?" She asked with a small, sad laugh. "He could be a prankster sometimes. But Tom was..." she paused, swallowing hard as if searching for an adequate word. "Kind." She finished.

"I didn't have the best parents growing up." She explained. "Tom lived next door. And at night, when my parents would drink and shout and cuss at each other, I would sneak out my window and tap on his. It didn't matter what he was doing or what time it was. Didn't matter if he was busy or even asleep. He always got up and climbed out his window. And we would lay in his backyard together and just stare up at the sky until the shouting stopped. Sometimes we would fall asleep right there in the grass. I think I spent more hours under the tree in his backyard than I did in my own bedroom. We talked about everything. You know... stupid kid stuff. But mostly we looked up at the sky and imagined what it would be like to go to space."

"And for him it was just dreaming," She sighed. "But he knew that for me it was so much more. He said someday we would figure out a way to leave California, get out of L.A. and go wherever we wanted. And I said I wanted to go to the moon. And he didn't laugh. He just said 'OK.'"

"One night," She paused, remembering. "I think we were maybe seven or eight? He just started calling me 'Crow' out of the blue. And when I asked him why, he said it was because my hair was as black as a crow's feathers. And that I should have been born a bird. He said God should have given me wings because I was meant to fly."

She paused sadly. "He always joked about how one day I would grow wings and fly away without him. I told him I would never leave him behind. But he made me promise that if I ever got the chance to fly away, I would take it."

"I was supposed to go to MIT next fall." She sighed. "Had a full ride. I was gonna study astrophysics. I was afraid to tell him. But he found out somehow and you know what he did?" She laughed nostalgically. "Baked me the saddest cake you've ever seen. Pretty much just a big messy ball of white frosting. He said it was supposed to be the moon. And we laid down in his backyard just like we did when we were kids and ate frosting until we were sick. And then he gave me this."

Crow reached into her shirt and pulled out a pewter figurine that was tied around her neck. It was shaped like a Crow with its wings spread in flight. "He said he made it in metal shop." Crow continued. "He asked me to take it to the moon for him. Because he said that, just like me, it was made to fly."

She stopped at a door and pushed it open. "Like I said... Tom was kind. Too kind for this world."

Alicia wondered what had happened to Tom but it didn't feel right to ask. "It's beautiful." Is all she said.

Crow smiled and tucked the pendant back into her shirt, where it rested against her chest, close to her heart. "Get some rest." She said. "Tomorrow's gonna be a bonafide shit-storm of a day."


	17. Chapter 17: Across the Darkness

17

Across the darkness

Alicia's cloudy brain struggled to make sense of the world. Something was pushing gently, incessantly, against her shoulder. Reluctantly she opened her heavy eyes, blinking in the semi-darkness. Dim candlelight flickered against her pupils.

"Make some room, will you?" A voice asked and Alicia felt the cot tilt as a body flopped down beside her. Suddenly she was awake. Wide awake. She rolled onto her back, scooching as far away from Elyza as possible, until she was wedged flat against the wall.

"Thanks." Elyza mumbled, scooching closer until their shoulders grazed. She let out a long yawn followed by an even longer sigh. "God, I'm knackered."

Alicia just swallowed hard, trying to slow her racing heartbeat. _Was Elyza_ _ **trying**_ _to give her a heart attack?_ She wondered. "What time is it?" She managed to squeak out, hoping she sounded casual, not like someone suffering from an aneurysm.

"Four-forty-five." Elyza answered. "Crow finished building her bomb. Katy just left to put it in place. We'll only have the cover of darkness for another hour or so. Adeena and Mary just left with a small team for Sofia Rojas..."

"Who is Sofia Rojas?" Alicia interrupted, confused.

"It's the name of the station where Rob's team will surface." Elyza answered as if it were obvious. "Honestly, Little Coon... keep up."

"You mean Sequoia..." Alicia began with a chuckle before deciding not to bother to correct her again. "Never mind... Sofia Rojas Station... Got it. Go on..."

"Right, so Mary and Adeena's crew are getting in place to meet Rob and Henrian took a team of a few of our best shooters to set up on rooftops around Walgreens. So everyone should be set before the sun comes up. The rest of us just hafta sit tight and wait our turn."

"And our Noah?" Alicia asked sadly, already guessing the answer before Elyza gave it.

"Ricki volunteered for that job." Elyza confirmed, her voice also tinged with sadness.

"So this really is going down, isn't it?" Alicia asked into the darkness.

"Yes." Elyza sighed. "It really is."

Alicia watched the black shadows drifting across the ceiling, moving with the fluttering flame of the single candle Elyza had placed on the bedside table. "Elyza?" She asked nervously.

"Yup, Little Coon?" Elyza replied sleepily.

"What were you going to say to me earlier?" She asked.

"You mean when my mum interrupted us and you jumped up like you'd been caught in the nuddy?" Elyza laughed. "I wasn't going to _say_ anything."

"No..." Alicia answered. "I mean back at Strand's when _my_ mom interrupted us."

Elyza didn't reply. Silence hung in the narrow space between them. After a moment Alicia wondered if Elyza had actually fallen asleep.

"Elyza?" She whispered.

"You're not going to believe me." Elyza said, echoing her words from the afternoon.

"Try me." Alicia replied, her own voice as serious as Elyza's.

"Alright," Elyza began, taking a deep breath. "Remember how I told you about that nightmare I always have? The one where there's a girl lying in a bed, bleeding out, and she's dying, and I can't stop it?"

"Yeah..." Alicia replied, wondering where Elyza was going with this.

"It's you." Elyza said simply.

"What?" Alicia asked, not following, wondering if she had missed something.

"The girl in my dream." Elyza explained. "Its you."

"What?" Alicia repeated. "You mean, she _looks_ like me?"

"No." Elyza answered, turning on her side to face Alicia, her face shrouded in shadow. "I mean she _is_ you."

"But you said..." Alicia argued, thinking back on their conversation from earlier this morning. It seemed like it had been ages since they had sat in that classroom together on that ugly maroon rug, the sunlight playing in Elyza's hair, Alicia's fingertips smudged in colored pencil. "You said you've been having that dream for..."

"Years." Elyza finished for her. "I know."

"And that..." Alicia continued. "You could never remember the girl's face when you woke up."

"I know." Elyza repeated. "I never _could_ remember her face. But, when I saw you today, lying on the ground, covered in black paint... I knew... I deadset knew you were her... She was you."

"The black paint..." Alicia replied thoughtfully. "Because she had black blood..."

"Yes." Elyza answered.

"But my blood is red." Alicia said.

"Yes." Elyza replied again. "I know."

"How could you dream about me years before you ever met me?" Alicia asked.

"I don't know." Elyza admitted. "I told you... It sounds impossible... I know. But I also know its you."

Alicia didn't know what to think. Elyza sounded so serious. Alicia was convinced that she wasn't messing with her. But that meant that Elyza actually believed what she was saying. But what she was saying was impossible? _Wasn't it?_

"Have you ever dreamed about other people dying before you met them?" She asked, trying not to sound like she was questioning Elyza's sanity.

Elyza rolled back onto her back with a sigh. "Only one."

Surprised, Alicia held her tongue. This time she was the one to roll over to face Elyza. She stared into the dancing shadows, trying to make out the expression on Elyza's face. She waited for her to elaborate.

"Remember when I told you about the dream where there's a frightened boy tied to a post and I kiss him as I carve a knife through his chest?" Elyza asked.

Alicia shuddered. "Yes."

"I didn't realize it until after he died..." Elyza paused. "The boy was Tom."

"Tom?" Alicia asked, surprised. She thought of Crow's stories. _The boy who had comforted a sad little girl? The boy who told her she could fly?_ But she couldn't bring herself to say that. "The prankster?" She asked instead.

"Yes." Elyza replied. "He and I..." She paused. "Well... I cared about him."

Alicia could hear the sadness in her voice and she knew without asking that Elyza had loved the boy. Perhaps even as much as Crow had.

"He died a couple weeks after this whole mess started." Elyza continued. "We were out on a supply run together when we got into a sticky spot. I was stonkered, trapped, surrounded by infected. He could have gotten away. He could have left me. But he didn't. He came back for me and jumped right into the infected. I couldn't stop him. He let them have him so that I could get away. He did it for me." Elyza choked. Alicia wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she didn't know how. So she just laid there in silence.

"Before I ran," Elyza continued. "I shot him in the head. It was all I could do to help him. I couldn't let him suffer like that. Then I ran and left his body there to be torn apart."

Alicia shuddered again, trying not to picture the carnage. "That night I dreamed of the boy on the pole." Elyza continued. "Only this time, for the first time, I recognized his face. I always thought it was just because I felt guilty about Tom. Because I knew deep down that it was my fault that he died."

"It wasn't your fault." Alicia interjected. "He chose his death."

"He did it for me." Elyza repeated, rolling onto her side again so that, for the first time, they faced each other. Alicia was grateful for the darkness between them. Otherwise she was sure she would never have been able to speak. And she would never have had the courage to do what she did next.

Heart pounding, she reached across the darkness that separated them, bridging the gap between them. She found Elyza's fingers and wrapped them in her own. "That doesn't make it your fault."

Elyza was silent for a moment. Alicia didn't know whether or not she believed her words. Finally Elyza rolled away from Alicia back onto her back. But she wove her fingers into Alicia's and took her hand with her so that it came to rest on her stomach. "Thanks Little Coon." She whispered into the darkness.

Alicia was still smiling when Elyza's breathing grew slow and rhythmic beside her. She spent the remainder of the night listening to Elyza sleep, her hand still resting on Elyza's tummy, rising and falling peacefully with every breath. And if Elyza dreamt, Alicia knew that at least for tonight, it was not of the dead.


	18. Chapter 18: Shivers

18

Shivers

Alicia's heart jumped into her throat at the sound of knuckles rapping on the door. She bolted into a sitting position.

"Commander?" A deep voice called out politely through the wood and Alicia let out a sigh of relief, recognizing Ricki's voice. She was sure if it had been Crow, the girl would've just barged right in. "It's time."

Beside her Elyza turned lazily in her sleep. Alicia gave her a gentle shake and she let out a soft moan.

"Commander?" Ricki called again.

This time Elyza opened her eyes, frowning, clearly irritated. "Huh?" She called out groggily.

"It's time." Ricki repeated.

"Oh... Right." She mumbled, blinking in the morning light. "OK. I'll be out in a minute."

Elyza flopped back down and looked like she was about to go back to sleep until her eyes fell on Alicia sitting beside her. A flash of surprise crossed her sleepy face. Then she broke into a smile.

"Hi." She said softly, stretching.

"Hi." Alicia smiled back.

Elyza rolled onto her belly, stretching her arms out above her head, then folding them and tucking them under her chin. The movement tugged at her shirt and revealed a slit of her lower back between her shirt and the waist of her black jeans. Unable to stop them, Alicia's eyes flickered to the patch of exposed skin and she noticed a ribbon of black crossing through its center.

She hesitated for the briefest moment and then reached out and boldly pulled Elyza's shirt a bit higher, uncovering the top of a small black circle. "Is this a tattoo?" She asked stupidly.

"Huh?" Elyza said sleepily. "Oh... Yeah. I got it just a little while ago, before all this end of the world shit went down. Sometimes I forget it's there."

"Can I see it?" Alicia asked.

"Go for it." Elyza replied, lazily.

Alicia pulled the edge of Elyza's shirt higher, uncovering her entire lower back. More black circles appeared, larger than the first. They were connected by a string of fragmented lines leading all the way up her spinal cord and disappearing under her shirt. Nervously Alicia pulled the shirt higher and then higher still. Elyza wriggled obligingly on her tummy to allow the shirt to move higher until it finally clumped around her shoulders and neck, revealing a large open circle between her bare shoulder blades.

"Wow." Alicia whispered. "It's beautiful."

She hesitated a moment, and then, unable to resist, ran her finger along Elyza's skin, tracing the lines of the tattoo along her spine until her fingertip finally came to rest on the littlest black circle at its base. She smiled, gently biting the tip of her tongue, as Elyza shivered at her light touch.

"Seven circles." She counted. "Does it mean something?"

"No." Elyza answered. "Well... I mean... I don't know... Kind of. Its a design I made up. Drew it in art class when we were studying abstract graphic design. I didn't have a plan. I just put my pen on the paper and that's what came out of it. And... I don't know... I liked it. _Really_ liked it." She paused in her rambling. "I mean... I guess that's obvious, since I got it tattooed across my entire back. So... Yeah, I guess you can say it means something to me. I just don't know what it _means, means._ You know what I mean?"

"No." Alicia chuckled. But it was a lie. She knew exactly what Elyza meant. There were lots of things in her life that meant something to her, but she couldn't explain why. Like how she loved the name Lexa, or how she hated the number 307 or how she always caught herself doodling pine trees and forests when all she had ever known was the city. These things didn't make any logical sense. But some things in life didn't have to make any sense. That didn't make them any less real.

Alicia traced the outline of each circle, then trailed her finger up Elyza's spine one last time, relishing her power to make Elyza shiver. She snagged the bottom of Elyza's shirt and gently tugged it back down. Suddenly, without a single word of warning or a moment's hesitancy, Elyza pulled an arm out from under her chin, rolling onto her side while reaching out behind her to snag Alicia's fingertips. She pulled Alicia's arm from her back around her side until it wrapped over her shoulders and rested in the nook between Elyza's tilted chin and the space between her collar bones.

Alicia's heart was racing again. She could feel Elyza's own pulse throbbing against her knuckles, strong, slow, and steady. She willed herself to breathe.

"I think we're supposed to get going, Elyza." She whispered. "Ricki said..."

"Ssshhhhh..." Elyza softly shushed her before she could finish and Alicia just smiled, because, truth be told, she did not want to get up either. She knew what the day held for her. There was a nightmare looming ahead and right now she just wanted to stay here, lost in this dream.

The door flew open and Alicia jumped again, pulling her arm free of Elyza and bolting upright.

"Rise and shine, Commander." An annoyingly chirpy voice called out and Crow's head appeared in the doorway. "Oh!" She said, spotting Alicia.

Instinctively Alicia hastily pulled the bed covers up to cover herself, even though she was already fully dressed. Crow broke into a devilish grin.

"Nick off, Crow! Get out!" Elyza commanded grumpily, pulling her pillow over her head.

"Sorry, Commander." Crow said. "But its time to get going. Lots of shit to do today. Lots of shit waiting to go 'boom.'"

"I'm coming... I'm coming." Elyza moaned through the pillow.

Crow burst into a fit of snickers. "That's what _she_ said." She laughed with a wink before proceeding to wiggle her eyebrows at the blushing Alicia.

Elyza pulled the pillow off of her head and chucked it at the laughing Crow. "Honestly..." She said grumpily, though a small smile betrayed her. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Sorry." Crow grinned. "It was just too easy. I couldn't resist. I mean... Especially since you're _both_ _she's_..."

"Get out." Elyza moaned again.

"Alright... Alright... I'm going" Crow said with a last giggle. "But it really is time to get up."

"I told you, I'm..." Elyza caught herself. "I'll be out in a minute."

Crow flashed Alicia one last wicked smile and then disappeared through the doorway, leaving the door wide open to the world.


	19. Chapter 19: Early

19

Early

"Watch your head, butthead." Elyza said as Ricki unceremoniously dumped the bound and gagged Jakey into Anya's trunk. Elyza slammed it shut on the whimpering boy and turned to Ricki.

"You sure about this?" She asked. "You don't have to be the one."

"If not me, then who?" Ricki asked. When Elyza gave no answer he gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Crow showed me how to blow the locks. And she rigged this super sweet old boombox to the back of my bike so I won't have to serenade the monsters all the way there. I just gotta press a button, crank up the tunes, and go for a nice, slow ride through the city. Easy Peasy..."

"Lemon squeezy." Elyza finished for him as he pulled her into his strong arms.

"Hit choda op nodotaim." He said, momentarily lifting her off the ground.

"Nodotaim." She answered, as he released her.

Ricki turned to Alicia and suddenly Alicia's own sneakers were dangling off the ground as he pulled her into a tight, but soft hug. She relaxed into his embrace. She had only known the man for a day, and yet, like Elyza, it seemed like she had known him for years.

"Goodbye, Alicia." He said, releasing her. "For now."

"For now," She replied with a sad smile.

Then she turned and climbed into the backseat of Anya, squishing her way in next to Chris and Travis. Madison anxiously drummed her fingertips on the dashboard as Elyza climbed behind the wheel and settled beside her. Elyza cranked the ignition then spoke into her walkie talkie, which Crow had brilliantly rigged to allow multiple parties to converse at once.

"Alright, everyone..." She spoke. "Negotiation team is about to roll out. Is everyone in place? Extraction team?"

Mary's whispering voice crackled through the walkie. "All set and sitting pretty, Commander. Well, correction... _I'm_ sitting pretty. Can't say the same for the rest of the team, at least not Adeena." She laughed.

"Tell me again," A woman's deep, soulful voice cut in. "How is it _I'm_ always the one paired with this girl?"

"Because..." Mary's voice came again. "You always _choose_ me, Adeena. Maybe you forgot, but you actually like me."

"Well," Elyza cleared her throat. "Good to know at least some of us are enjoying this."

"Yeah... I'm having a blast." Mary said, sarcastically. "One of the guards scratched his balls ten minutes ago. _That_ was exciting."

"Nice, Emm," Crow's equally sarcastic voice cut in. "Thanks for sharing that."

"Crow," Elyza spoke. "Is Rescue team in position?"

"Rob checked in ten minutes ago." Crow answered. "The three of them are in hiding, ready to go."

"Right-o." Elyza answered. "Demolition team?"

"I don't know if it counts as a 'team' if it's just me," Katy's whispering voice answered. "But, not gonna lie, I do like the sound of 'Demolition team.' Yeah... I'm a safe distance, finger on the button. Crow's packages are in place. Dumbass guards haven't noticed them."

"Any movement?" Elyza asked.

"Not yet." Katy answered. "Just some guards lingering. No one's set out yet."

"OK." Elyza answered. "Radio as soon as you see them moving out."

"Echo." Katy answered.

"Sky Crew?" Elyza asked next.

"Snipers are in position." A man's voice answered. Alicia recognized it as belonging to the bearded man she now knew was Henrian. "We have eyes on Walgreens and the lots surrounding it. Nothing but some wandering infected so far. Our trigger fingers are itching but we'll save our bullets for the living."

"Alright." Elyza said. "That just leaves Genesis team."

"Ready to blow the floodgates, Commander." Ricki replied.

"Alright, everyone." Elyza said one last time. "You all know what to do. Wait for your signals. Stay safe. Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim."

"Hit choda op nodotaim." Crow's voice replied.

"Nodotaim," Mary's voice echoed, followed by Katy's, Henrian's, and finally Ricki's. "Nodotaim."

...

Elyza pulled Anya slowly into the Walgreens' parking lot. The air in the car was heavy with anticipation. She killed the engine and they sat in silence for a moment before she glanced at her watch. "Eleven-fourteen." She announced as she stared out the windshield, scanning the lot for movement. Abandoned, rusting cars glinted in the sun. A few infected weaved in and out between them, always moving, never going anywhere.

Two spiked SUVs pulled into position on either side of Anya, parking at angles so that the three vehicles formed a sort of V with Anya bisecting the middle. They killed their engines, but no one moved just yet. Elyza spoke into her walkie. "Negotiation team is in position." She reported. "Demolition team... Any movement?"

"Negative, Commander." Katy whispered in reply. "Its still quiet here. I count eight guards now, but they're just standing around, scratching their asses, looking as bored as I am."

"Right." Elyza replied. "Keep me posted."

"Lets set up." Elyza said, finally cracking her door open and stepping into the sunshine. She signaled to the SUVs beside them and more doors opened. "Let's rock and roll, everyone." She said. "Clear the area and get the shield in place. Clearers, remember... Save your bullets for the Under-Grounders." She added, pulling her long knife from her hip.

Alicia reached behind her and unsheathed Ricki's sword, _her_ sword. Her fingers practically tingled with excitement as she gripped the steel in her hand. Elyza turned towards her, frowning.

"Alicia," She said, awkwardly. "Maybe you should help set the shield."

Alicia glanced at the team of Arkers unloading large sheets of metal from the back of one of the SUVs and propping them against the outside of the vehicles' V. Then she turned back to Elyza, fixing her with a frown and a glare. She knew Elyza wanted to protect her. But, with this blade in her hand, for the first time in a long time she was sure she did not need anyone's protection. She did not _want_ it.

Elyza was staring at her, her frown dissolving into an almost pleading look. But Alicia's eyes weren't on Elyza. An infected suddenly staggered from behind the cab of the old rusted pickup truck parked behind Elyza and reached an arm into her hair. Elyza's eyes grew wide with surprise as the rotting fingers yanked her head backwards.

Alicia wasn't afraid. She wasn't surprised. She wasn't worried. She wasn't _anything._ Her mind was at once utterly empty and utterly clear. She didn't think. She didn't tell her body to move. But move, it did. Two quick, light steps forward and then Alicia sidestepped around Elyza and her sneakers left the pavement as she leapt into the air, her sword raised above her. She brought it slicing down through the air, landing in a deep lunge as the blade met the infected's flesh right below the elbow. It cut right through his forearm so that his hand dangled limply from Elyza's tangled curls. Then, in one swift movement, Alicia raised herself out of the lunge, swinging the blade back upwards through the air and twisting her torso so that the sharp edge caught the infected below his double chin and emerged from the back of his thick neck. Alicia watched the infected's head soar through the air as his body crumpled to the ground. The head splattered against the pickup's windshield, bounced off the glass, and slowly rolled off the dirty hood, leaving a red streak in the grime. It rolled across the pavement and finally came to rest at Elyza's feet.

Elyza shuddered and kicked it away with a boot, sending it airborne again. She looked up at Alicia, her eyes still wide, though the panic was gone. "Right-o," She said. "I change my mind. You can help clear."

Together they cleared their section of the lot. Elyza took down two infected with her blade, one with a stab into the temple, the other with a gouge directly into the eye. Meanwhile, Alicia decapitated another two infected and speared a third through the skull. It was bloody work. It was messy. It was disgusting. And it was absolutely _exhilarating_.

As Alicia pulled her blade from the last infected's skull and watched the soldier fall to the asphalt, she realized she was smiling. She was breathing hard, her heart racing with adrenaline, her eyes wide with excitement when she turned to see Elyza watching her. Elyza was staring at her with a strange look on her face. It was a mixture of awe, respect, and... fear. She was looking at Alicia the way you might stare at a wild animal that suddenly crossed your path, something untamed... something beautiful, but dangerous.

Alicia wiped the smile off her face and dropped her arm so that her sword hung limply at her side. Suddenly she became aware that her arms were streaked with splatters of blood. She tried to wipe them on her blood-soaked shirt. She could feel more blood trickling like sweat down her cheeks and she quickly tried to smear her face against her shoulder. She didn't like the way Elyza was looking at her. She wasn't a wild animal. She wasn't someone to be feared. _Was she?_

But the fear in Elyza's eyes faded as Alicia sidled up to her and they started making their way back towards the others.

"Alicia?" Elyza asked.

"Yes." Alicia replied nervously, worried about what she might say. She had used Alicia's real name.

"You know how when we first met I said you looked weak?" She asked. "And you said," She put on her best sassy American accent, mimicking Alicia. "I'm not weak... I'm a survivor."

Alicia just glanced at her, waiting, wondering where Elyza was going with this.

"Well." Elyza said, stopping and grabbing Alicia's wrist to stop her too. Alicia turned to meet her intense gaze.

"I was wrong about you." Elyza admitted. "You show no signs of weakness."

Alicia gave her a small smile, her heart fluttering at the compliment. She began walking again, hoping Elyza wouldn't detect the new layer of crimson in her blood-smeared cheeks.

"But." Elyza continued, falling into step beside her, and Alicia's smile faltered at the word. "You were wrong too."

Now it was Alicia who stopped. She turned to her with a confused frown. "What do you..."

"I mean..." Elyza quickly explained, almost stuttering on her words. "You're not _just_ a survivor. You're... so much more."

Alicia's cheeks were burning now. But the smile returned as she watched the crimson spread across Elyza's cheeks as well.

"Hey Alicia..." Chris's voice butted into the silence between them. "When the hell did you morph into a character straight out of Sailor Moon? Did I miss some..."

Chris's words were cut short at the sudden thundering sound of gunfire. Stunned, Alicia felt a hand wrap around her hips and pull her down into a crouch. "Get down!" Elyza commanded, pulling her pistol from its holster. "Get to the shield!" She said, nudging Alicia forward as she scanned their surroundings for the source of the gunfire.

Alicia frantically scrambled towards the barricade, half crouching, half running, so that she waddled like a panicked goose. Bullets pinged off the pavement all around her, drove into the metal fenders of the cars beside her, shattered windows and windshields. The noise was deafening.

Alicia and Elyza threw themselves behind the barricade. But the bullets continued to rain down around them, exploding the asphalt at their feet, driving into the metal sheets of the shield behind them. The other Arkers were crouched down all around them, frantically firing their own rifles towards the roofs above them. They were shooting blindly.

As suddenly as it had begun, the gunfire stopped. Alicia uncovered her head and looked around. Everyone was crouched around her, wearing expressions of fear, surprise, and confusion. But no one seemed to be injured.

"They missed us!" Chris said, his voice filled with disbelief.

"That's because they weren't aiming for us." Elyza replied, as if it were obvious. "They were just letting us know that they are here. And that they have the fucking high ground."

She made a lunge for Anya's car door and snagged her walkie off the front seat as a string of bullets riddled Anya's side. Alicia threw her arms over her head again as the driver's side window shattered and glass rained around her like hail. Elyza was right. The bullets were definitely coming from a rooftop.

Another string of shots rang out from a different rooftop. But this time the bullets ricocheted off the roofs and windows of the buildings around them.

"Sky Crew!" Elyza shouted into her walkie. "Henrian!"

"Elyza!" Henrian's voice replied. There was another round of gunfire from rooftop to rooftop and Alicia heard the shots echoed in the walkie.

"They've got snipers with beads on us!" Elyza shouted. "Do you have eyes on them?!"

"We're working on it, Commander." Henrian shouted over another explosion of gunfire.

"No! Hold your fire!" Elyza commanded.

"What?" Henrian asked, confused.

"Hold your fire!" Elyza repeated and the shooting stopped. "They're not aiming to kill." Elyza said. "Save your bullets, for now. See if you can spot them. Don't fire unless you have a clear shot."

"Echo that, Commander." Henrian answered.

"Katy!" Elyza shouted next.

"What the hell's happening?" Katy's voice cracked from the walkie in a frantic whisper. "Who's shooting?"

"Fucking snipers." Elyza replied in a rush. "They've got us pinned down. What's happening there? Has a group moved out?"

"No." Katy answered. "They're not doing shit here."

Elyza dropped the walkie. "Fuck." She said to no one in particular as the rumbling of engines broke the sudden quiet left in the wake of the gunfire.

"You've got company, Commander." Henrian's voice spoke again.

"How many?" Elyza asked. She tried to peek over the barricade towards the sound of the rumbling. A bullet shattered into Anya's side mirror and Elyza ducked back down, covering her head.

"A humvy..." Henrian answered. "Eight...No... _nine_ bikes, two SUVs, a van, and one..." he paused. "...Limo. They're coming from the South."

Elyza released the walkie's button. "Shit." She said to Alicia. "Ricki was wrong. We were watching the wrong goddamned station. And they're early." She said, looking at her watch.

"Hey... Our fight's not over... We can still do this!" Alicia said. "They may have us pinned, but they don't know about Ricki. Tell him to blow the chains right now!"

Elyza stared at her, biting her lip, thinking. Then she set her jaw, gave Alicia a quick nod, and spoke into the walkie. "Ricki! Ricki!"

"Commander." Ricki replied.

"Blow the chains!" Elyza commanded.

"You're early." Ricki replied, his voice unsure.

"I know!" Elyza answered. "Just do it! Its going down _now."_

"Echo." Ricki answered. "Releasing the floodgates now. Here goes..."

Over the rumble of approaching engines Alicia heard the small 'boom' of a distant explosion. Alicia crossed her fingers, praying her crazy plan would work.

The engines' rumbling grew to a roar as the vehicles entered the parking lot and surrounded their small group. A few of the motorcycles circled them a couple of times, revving their engines menacingly before settling into a wide circle enclosing the Arkers.

"Crow!" Elyza whispered frantically into the walkie as the engines died. "Crow, come in goddamit."

"I'm here." Crow's voice replied.

"Tell Rob to get them out _now_." Elyza commanded.

"You're early." Crow echoed Ricki's words.

"I know!" Elyza repeated. "But we're doing this now! Tell him to break the cages open, get the group ready to move, and wait for Ricki's signal."

"Echo." Crow answered softly as a new voice rang through the air.

"Drop your guns!" The voice commanded. He was speaking from the other side of the barricade and from her crouched position between Anya and the shield, Alicia couldn't see him or any of his crew. No one moved.

"Henrian?" Elyza whispered into the walkie.

"Yes?" Henrian whispered back.

"You're surrounded, outgunned, and outnumbered." The voice called out. "I said, drop your guns."

"You got eyes on this wanker?" Elyza asked Henrian.

"Yes." Henrian whispered again.

"Hold fire for now." Elyza whispered. "But be ready to act if the time comes."

"OK! Hold your fire!" Elyza called out, quickly lowering the volume on her walkie and tucking it into her jacket. Then she handed her pistol to Alicia, who took it, confused. Elyza raised her hands in the air and stood. She unstrapped her beloved shotgun from her shoulders and tossed it onto the ground in front of the barricade. She nodded at the others and they followed suit. Alicia rose to her feet and tossed Elyza's pistol over the barricade, keeping her sword sheathed at her back.

Now that she was standing she could properly see the extent of their predicament. The man was absolutely right. They were surrounded. They were outgunned. They were outnumbered. The man, young and relatively handsome, was dressed in an immaculate clean and pressed suit, as if he had just emerged from a business meeting. Standing there in her blood-soaked tee and torn, dirty, shorts, it struck Alicia as extremely ironic that of the two of them, this fine-dressed man was the one who seemed out of place. Above his suit he wore a smug smile that pulled at the scar left from a cleft lip.

"Very good." The man said in a condescending voice. "But when the President gives you an order, I suggest you don't make him give it twice."


	20. Chap 20: The Commander & the President

20

The Commander and the President

The man raised three fingers in the air with a lazy wave and the doors of the vehicles surrounding them flew open to reveal more men. Dressed like ragtag soldiers in varying amounts of green, brown, and black, each man carried a large rifle. The limo alone remained closed, its tinted windows obscuring whoever was inside. The man with the cleft lip walked casually up to the limo's rear door and opened it with a small bow.

A slender old man, with short cropped white hair emerged. Like the man with the cleft lip, he too was dressed immaculately. "I'd like to speak to the man in charge of this..." He paused, surveying the Arkers with his eyebrows raised and lips puckered. "er... _Operation_." He finished in a pompous voice.

"Stay behind me." Elyza whispered to Alicia. She took one step forward and angled herself so that she stood between the President and Alicia. "That would be me." She said confidently.

The President eyed her up and down, puckering his lips even further. "Well, that explains a lot." He chuckled.

Alicia felt hot, unadulterated anger building inside of her like bile. She loathed this man in his fancy suit, with his clean shave and his haughty, high brows. Not to mention his limo. _Who drives an effing limo around in the middle of an apocalypse?_

"My orders." Elyza said bravely, completely ignoring the President's snide tone. "Were to have Amerson deliver our man. Amerson, and _only_ Amerson."

"Well..." The President replied in a mockingly apologetic tone. "I'm afraid I don't follow orders well. You see, I'm much more accustomed to _giving_ them. For instance, I have one for you now. Hand over Jacob," He said in a falsely cheerful voice. "And I might just be so generous as to let your little group live." He threatened with a sadistically polite smile.

"Well..." He added as an afterthought. " _Most_ of your group, anyhow. After all, I do believe you killed two of my men yesterday. So, naturally, I will be requiring four of yours in return. An eye for an eye... Blood for blood... You know how it is." He shrugged as if informing them of a processing fee at the DMV. "But first things first... Jacob."

"Not until we see Nick!" Madison blurted out from the other side of Anya. She stepped forward angrily and Travis grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. Elyza shot her a warning look and lifted a hand to quiet her.

"I don't recall inviting you to partake in our conversation." The President cooly directed towards Madison. "Remember, I will be selecting four of you." He warned, surveying them like a farmer assessing cattle. He looked disappointed with his stock, though his eyes lingered hungrily on Madison. "Anyone who speaks out of turn again," he addressed the whole group, "Will be considered a volunteer. We can always use more women in the tunnels." He added, eyeing Madison and licking his thin lips. "After all, men have more than _one_ type of hunger."

Alicia's blood was boiling, pulsing in her ears, collecting in her clenched fists. Madison was wearing a look of fury Alicia had always thought was only reserved for her and Nick. Even at her sassiest, most stubborn, that look could always make Alicia cower instantly without a single word spoken. But the President was still staring at Madison like she was a fine piece of meat. Alicia knew it was taking every fiber of Madison's being to bite back her tongue.

"You won't be taking any more of our people." Elyza said with a cool confidence Alicia couldn't help but admire. "In fact... You will be releasing all of those you have already taken. Cooperate, and in exchange we will return Little Jakey and we might just be so generous as to let _your_ people live."

The President laughed. "What makes you think you are in any position to negotiate, girl? Let alone issue threats? If you haven't noticed, the fate of your people is currently in _my_ hands. You ought to be begging for mercy on your knees, not making ludicrous threats. Do you not know what I could have done to all of you with a single word from my lips?"

"Oh, I know." Elyza replied calmly. She put her hands in her jacket pockets, leaning against Anya's hood casually. "In fact, I know all about your little _operation..._ the room under the kitchens... The kennels. I know that little Jakey is your son. I also know the layout of your tunnel system... Where you keep your weapons, where you get your water from, where you eat, where you sleep, where you take your evening shit. And you had better believe I know which tunnels are open and which are sealed, which are guarded and which are vulnerable. But, here's the rub..." She paused dramatically. "Its not about what _I know_ , its about what _you know._ Or, _don't_ know, really."

For instance..." She said, mimicking the President's condescending tone. "Maybe you haven't noticed that I currently hold the fate of your son in _my_ hand, and I mean that quite literally." She added, pulling her hand from her jacket pocket and opening her palm to reveal a small electronic gadget. She wrapped her fist around it, her thumb hovering over a button. "You certainly don't know what I could have done to him without even a single word spoken. Just a push of a button..."

"You also don't know," She continued as the President's eyes narrowed and his thin upper lip began to curl. "That we have eyes on you as well." She said, tilting her head upwards to casually scan the rooftops around them. "But what you should be most concerned with right now... What you _really_ need to know... Is that my army is marching on your gates right now. And believe me when I say your defenses will not hold against them. There is a shit-storm headed your way, Mr. President. I can promise you that. And the only thing that can stop it is a single word from _my_ lips."

The President studied Elyza angrily for a moment, then let out another laugh. "You are well skilled in the art of bull-shitting, girl. But I see right through you. You have no army. You have no bargaining power. All you have are the empty threats of a wild animal that's been cornered. Even if you had an army, it would never get past our defenses. The tunnels are impenetrable."

"The Titanic was unsinkable." Elyza replied. "Achilles was immortal. Rome would never fall... And the dead only rise in Bible stories. You see right through me, Mr. President?" She asked in a dangerous tone. "You don't see a damn thing other than what's in front of you, what we've chosen to show you."

"Yes," She conceded. "You could shoot me right now. You could gun all of us down. But I assure you, if you kill me, you kill your whole people. And if you try _anything_ , you certainly won't be leaving with your son in _one_ piece. I'll make this simple for you, Mr. President... There's two ways this can go down: Either you give us our men back, _all_ of our men, as well as those other prisoners you've marked for the slaughter. And you promise to be good boys who share the playground and play nice with others. And you empty your kennels and your people pledge to adopt a strictly vegetarian diet. _OR_... You open fire on us, little Jakey goes 'boom,' and your fortress of tunnels becomes a tomb. You kill us... We kill you... And all that's left are the dead. So I daresay the fates of _both_ of our peoples lies in your hands. Its your decision, Mr President. But..." She paused to look at her watch casually. "I would advise you to make your decision quickly. Once my army reaches your gates, believe me, not even _I_ will be able to call them off."

The President glared at Elyza. His polite smile had long ago withered and given way to a look of utter detest. His lips were curled in disgust, his nostrils flared. "I don't believe a word you say, girl." He replied. But Alicia could hear the hint of doubt now filling the absence of his once pretentious tone. His cocky demeanor was starting to crack like a wrinkle in his fine suit.

"Give us Jacob or I will kill you all right now." He growled.

"Show us Nick and we will hand little Jakey over." Elyza replied. "Surely we can make this trade like civil human beings, can't we?"

The President ran his tongue over his teeth, considering. Then he nodded at the man with the cleft lip and the man signaled to two soldiers. "Bring the boy."

The soldiers opened the trunk of one of the SUVs and roughly pulled Nick from it. Like Jakey, he was bound and gagged. They half carried, half dragged him across the pavement and dropped him at the President's feet. Nick wriggled for a moment and then went still as his gaze fell on his mother.

"Nick!" Madison cried out, again stepping forward only to be pulled back by Travis. Nick's eyes were wide with fear and silent pleading. His face was bruised and bleeding. But he was alive. Very much alive. _At least for the moment,_ Alicia thought as the President pulled a pistol from the inside of his blazer and pointed its tip at the back of Nick's head.

"Bring me Jacob!" He demanded.

Elyza nodded and turned, motioning for Alicia to follow as she moved around Anya. She dug the keys from her pocket and popped the trunk, pulling Alicia down beside her so that their heads were obscured in the depths of the trunk. She quickly fished the walkie from her jacket.

"Ricki, tell me good news." She whispered frantically.

Alicia heard the notes of music crackling softly from the radio. "I like the way you work it, no dig... It's working, Commander! I'm ten minutes away. It's working!" Ricki was shouting over the music but the radio's volume was so low Alicia could barely discern his words. "They're actually following this god-awful mus..."

"If you don't hear from me," Elyza cut him off quickly. "Go through with the plan. Get them out, Ricki. Get them all out."

"Commander..." Ricki began, his voice full of confusion and worry.

"Nodotaim, Ricki." Elyza cut him off again. Then, without waiting for his reply, she shoved the radio back into her jacket, turned to Alicia, and set her jaw. "Let's go get your brother."


	21. Chapter 21: Side by Side

21

Side by Side

Together, they heaved Jakey from the trunk. They dragged the scrawny boy to the edge of the barricade and then Elyza rotated him to show the President the back of his head. The duct tape sealing his mouth shut served a double purpose. Elyza nodded her head towards the electronic gadget taped to the back of his head and held the gadget in her hand out in front of her.

"Try anything," She called to the President in warning. "And Jakey here, loses his head."

"How do I know that isn't just a cheap piece of plastic in your hand?" Asked the President skeptically.

Elyza held the gadget out and gave it a click with her thumb. A loud beep sounded from the back of Jakey's head and a red light appeared at the top of his own gadget.

"Congratulations, Mr. President." Elyza smiled. "It's now armed. I'd of thought Amerson would have warned you not to call my bluff. He learned that lesson the hard way. How's his leg by the way?"

The President didn't deign to answer. "Bring him here." He commanded.

Elyza nodded at two Arkers whose names Alicia had never had the chance to learn and the men pulled two of the shield's sheets of metal apart, creating a gap in the barricade.

"You should stay, Alicia." Elyza whispered. "Let Alesandro take him out with me."

Elyza was still trying to protect Alicia. But Alicia shook her head. "He's _my_ brother." She argued. "And I'm..." She paused wondering what to say. Two days ago, staring at the colored pencils in that classroom supply closet, Alicia had doubted if she would ever again find a rightful, designated place for her in this world. But now she knew... Knew it more clearly than anything. Alicia belonged with Elyza. Her rightful place in this world was at Elyza's side. It always had been. It always would be.

"I'm not leaving you." She finally said.

Elyza gave her a resigned nod and together, side by side, they dragged the boy across the lot towards the President. The President motioned to his two soldiers and they snagged Nick by the armpits and pulled him to his feet.

"Now, here's the tricky part." The President said, clicking the chamber of his pistol and pressing its nozzle into Nick's temple. Elyza and Alicia stopped mere feet from the President, close enough for Alicia to see the yellow of his teeth. "Hand me the detonator and I'll lower my gun." He promised.

"What about the rest of the deal?" Elyza asked. "My people still caged like animals in your tunnels?"

"I have another deal for you." The President answered. "Give me the detonator and I'll let you live. I'll even generously cancel your debt for the men you killed yesterday. I'll give you this boy and let you go about your merry way. But what is already claimed is already claimed. What's ours is ours. And if we cross paths again, well... You will find there are limits to my mercy."

"My army will be at your gates in five minutes." Elyza replied. "You have one last chance to reconsider my offer, or _you_ will find that I have no mercy."

" _You_ ," The President answered, ignoring her threat. "have one last chance to accept _my_ offer before I rescind it and have you all killed right now. Now... Give me the detonator."

"Order your men to lower their weapons first." Alicia spoke for the first time. She was surprised to find her voice as confident and cool as Elyza's.

The President eyed her lazily, as if she were not worthy of his attention. Alicia did not falter under his apprising gaze. With Elyza at her side, Alicia felt steady, strong. She stood firm.

"And why would I do that?" The President asked.

"If you want your son to keep his head," Alicia answered. "Tell your men to drop their guns. If you are true to your word... If this is to end peacefully... Then they don't need their weapons. Our group is unarmed. In fact..." She paused with a new idea. "Better yet... Order your men to get back into their vehicles. My group will do the same. You don't need all these men to make a simple trade. After all, we are only two little girls. Let the rest of our group leave. Send your men away. And _then_ we will give you Jakey and the detonator. After all... He is _your_ son. Nick's _my_ brother... There's no need getting all of our people involved in what really ought to be a family affair, right?"

The President gave her a sickly sweet smile. "You girls have some major trust issues, don't you?" He laughed coldly. "Tell you what... I'll let your group leave. I'll even send my men away. But they're taking all the guns with them."

He gave a lazy wave of his hand and his men clambered obediently back into their vehicles. Others climbed back onto their bikes and revved their engines.

"Go on, everyone." Elyza called out to the Arkers. "Get back to the Ark."

"I'm not leaving without my children." Madison called out.

"Mom," Alicia replied, not daring take her eyes off the President's watery gray ones. "Just wait in the car. Trust me." She pleaded.

All around them engines rumbled to life. Slowly the vehicles pulled out of the lot, leaving only Anya and the Limo behind.

"Well, isn't this intimate?" The President snarled. "Now... The Detonator."

"Call off your men on the rooftops." Alicia demanded. "And we'll do the same."

The President snarled at her again, but he nodded to the man with the cleft lip and the man pulled a radio from his suit jacket. "Peters, stand down." He commanded. "Return to base. I repeat... Stand down, return to base."

"Sir, yes Sir." A voice answered. "Snipers moving out. Returning to base."

Alicia nodded at Elyza and Elyza pulled the walkie out of her own jacket. "Henrian." She called. "Stand down. Sky Crew fall back. Return to the Ark."

"Commander?" Henrian replied, unsure.

"Return to the Ark." Elyza repeated.

"As you say, Commander." Henrian answered. "Nodotaim."

"Satisfied?" The President growled.

"Lower your gun." Alicia commanded.

"I'll lower my gun," He answered. "When you hand me the detonator."

"Alright." Elyza replied, slowly extending her hand towards the President. "Lower your gun."

The President slowly lowered his gun, reaching for the detonator with his free hand. But before the exchange was completed, there was a deafening "boom."

Alicia shuddered, releasing her hold on Jakey and clapping her hands over her ears. She wasn't the only one shocked. After the initial surprise faded she raised her eyes to look in the direction of the explosion. Dark plumes of black smoke were pouring into the blue sky about a mile to the West. Over the ringing in her ears Alicia heard what sounded like the "pop-pop-pop" of a string of fireworks. The pops were too fast and steady to be gunfire and Alicia knew that it was Crow's second package. One explosion to destroy the tunnel's outer defenses and create an opening for the dead. The other to capture their attention and lure them away from Ricki into the darkness of the tunnels. Crow hadn't exaggerated her skills. She really was brilliant. And she really knew how to make things go "boom."

The surprise on the President's ugly face gave way to confusion and a hint of panic shone in his gray eyes. The fireworks stopped and Alicia now heard the erratic popping of distant gunfire. The President looked to the man with the cleft lip who frantically lifted his radio to his mouth.

"Cortez, report!" He commanded.

A terrified voice crackled through his radio. "They're everywhere!" It shouted over the blasts of gunfire emanating from the radio, mingled with the shouts of men and the moaning of the dead.

"They're in the tunnels! We can't hold them! There's too many! They just keep coming! Diablos!" He shouted over the popping of his own rifle. "They're everywhere!" He repeated.

"Who?" The President's man asked.

"The dead!" The voice shrieked. "They're every... Aaaahhhh." The man's scream turned into a gurgle and then died as the radio went silent.

The President looked from his man to Elyza, his nostrils flared, his jaw clenched, his eyes afire with shock and fury.

"I told you not to call my bluff." Elyza spoke. There was no joy in her voice. It was heavy with the weight of what she had done, the lives she knew were being claimed this very moment at her command.

The President's eyes flashed dangerously and he raised his pistol. Alicia did not stop to think. She wasn't surprised. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't _anything_. Again her mind was utterly empty, utterly clear. She reached for her sword with one hand, pushed Elyza away with the other, and lunged towards the President. A single "pop" rang through the air as Alicia's blade met the tender flesh between the President's neck and collar bone, half severing his neck as it cut diagonally into his breast. The man staggered in surprise as blood erupted from his neck and splattered Alicia's face. Then he fell to the pavement, twitching and writhing.

Alicia's sword fell from her fingers with a clang. She felt her jaw drop, her lips forming the smallest "oh" of surprise as she stumbled backwards against Elyza. Suddenly she felt her legs give out beneath her and the pavement rushed up to meet her.


	22. Chapter 22: A Hundred Lifetimes

22

A Hundred Lifetimes

"Alicia!" Elyza shouted, her voice cracking with panic and shock. She dropped to her knees beside Alicia as the first wave of pain swept over her. There was a fire in her stomach and the pain of it was like nothing Alicia had ever experienced before. It toppled over her in waves, wracking her body with each breath, until she felt herself convulsing. The pain was all-consuming.

And yet... As she looked up at Elyza's face kneeling over her, the pain seemed to fade. No... It didn't fade. It wasn't any less powerful, raw, or real. But Alicia was only semi-conscious of it. It was as if her body belonged to someone else. The pain belonged to someone else. And her mind knew her body was dying, but all of the sudden it didn't seem to matter much. Because Elyza was safe. And Elyza was with her.

"Help me get her in the car!" Elyza cried and suddenly Alicia felt the ground disappear from underneath her as arms lifted her. They gently laid her in Anya's backseat and Elyza climbed in beside her, perching awkwardly in the narrow space between the backseat and the front. Alicia was vaguely aware of Elyza's fingers pressing against her stomach, pushing against the fire eating her from the inside out. Alicia felt cold. More than anything, she wished she could feel those fingers wrapped around her own. She lifted a heavy arm and groped across her soaking wet belly in search of Elyza's hands.

"Stay with me, Alicia!" Elyza cried desperately.

"Always." Alicia wanted to reply. But the word caught in her throat. She choked and coughed, tasting blood. She knew she was dying. She supposed she should be terrified. But she wasn't afraid. She wasn't even sad. Because Elyza was safe. And Elyza was with her. And this was how Alicia had always imagined, always hoped, death would come for her. Because Elyza's face was more beautiful than green leaves fluttering against white clouds floating in a blue sky. And her tears fell more gently on Alicia's cheeks than the perfume of blossoms carried on a summer breeze. And now Elyza's fingers were wrapped around her own as tenderly as a lover's and her touch was as soft as a stolen kiss.

And Alicia knew this was her last chance to speak with Elyza. And she had so much to say. But her lips could only form one word. And she prayed that it would suffice. "Nodotaim." She choked and sputtered through her blood.

"No! Stay with me, Alicia." Elyza begged, the tears streaming from her eyes. "I need you. I _want_ you. Don't leave me..." she cried. "Please, don't leave me."

Alicia stared into the brilliant blue of Elyza's eyes until Elyza's head dropped to Alicia's chest and all she could see was the golden yellow of her hair. And Alicia wondered if this was how Tom had felt as he died. If he had been as lucky as she was. If the last thing he had seen leaving this world wasn't the ugly snapping jaws of the infected, but rather the blue depths of Elyza's eyes, the glow of her golden hair. She wondered if he, like her, had welcomed his death, knowing that Elyza was someone worth dying for. She wondered if, given the chance to undo it, to go back and change his fate, if he still would've jumped in front of Elyza. Because Alicia would not change a thing. And, could she live a hundred lifetimes, she would give every single one for Elyza. Because Elyza was worth dying for.

The yellow was fading to black all around as Alicia heard Elyza's voice, like a prayer on the wind. "Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim." And Alicia thought she felt something soft brush her lips as the darkness took her.

...

Alicia's belly was on fire. It felt like she was being eaten alive from the inside. She had never felt pain like this before, she was sure of it. And yet, as she opened her eyes, she had the strange feeling that she had been here before. She was dying. She was sure of that too. And yet, this wasn't the first time. She was sure of _that_ too.

She pressed her fingers against her throbbing stomach, its skin slick and warm with sticky blood. She lifted her hands before her and was only mildly surprised to see them covered in black. She should be shocked, or at least a little concerned that she seemed to be leaking black ink. Black blood was impossible, after all. It made no sense. And yet, somehow, she had half expected it. And it didn't seem to matter much right now because she was expecting something else too. Something far more important. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she was waiting for it. She was _longing_ for it.

A face swam into focus before her and immediately she knew that this girl was what she had been awaiting. She had eyes the color of the ocean on a cloudless day, wild hair the color that sand ought to be when the sun bounces off of it and burns your pupils and leaves you momentarily blinded by its brilliance. She was crying and she was impossibly beautiful in her sorrow. Still, it pained Alicia to see this girl's tears. It made her ache with a pain far deeper and more intense than any burning in her stomach, any pain of her flesh. This ache came from somewhere deeper than her skin or her organs or her bones. It came from her very core and squeezed her heart and constricted her lungs until she felt like she could not breathe. And the ache was more than she could bear. And yet, Alicia would endure this pain a hundred times over if in doing so she could but ease the pain in this girl's blue eyes; if she could but wipe away the girl's tears and replace them with a smile.

Alicia lifted a heavy hand to the girl's cheek and the girl reached up and cradled Alicia's hand in her own. Alicia did not know this girl. She was sure of it. She did not know her name. She did not know where she came from or why she was here now. And yet, she knew this girl. She was sure of it. She knew the soft, endless blue of her eyes. She knew the curve of her lips, the feel of her cheek, the touch of her fingers against her skin. Somehow she knew this girl from somewhere deep inside her. It was as if her eyes did not recognize her, but her very soul did.

The girl leaned over Alicia, so close that her tears fell from her lashes and trickled down Alicia's own cheeks. Her voice washed over Alicia and Alicia forgot the pain of her flesh as she struggled to make sense of the words. "Journey on the ground. May we meet ag..."

...

Alicia opened her eyes and sucked in a raspy breath, her stomach throbbing with the effort. Her stomach was still on fire, but the flames were fading into smoldering embers. And above the flames something soft was tickling her neck and chin. Something soft and yellow was resting on her chest. Alicia tried to push herself into a sitting position to get a better view and the _something_ stirred at the sound of Alicia's gasp of pain. A beautiful face appeared before her. The girl's eyes were red and puffy from sleep and recent tears, but the irises shone with the blue of the ocean on a cloudless day. Her wild and tangled hair was the color that sand ought to be when the sun bounces off of it and burns your pupils and leaves you momentarily blinded by its brilliance. Her soft lips were parted in surprise but they quickly spread into a smile, and then a full-on grin. Alicia felt her own lips pull into her own goofy grin, because she knew this girl. Yes, she knew this girl.

"Elyza!" She sputtered, trying to ignore the pain in her abdomen.

"Alicia!" The girl replied, still smiling like an idiot. "You're awake! How's your stomach?"

 _How's my stomach?_ Alicia thought. _Feels like i got skewered by an effing spear._ But she put on a brave face and tried her best to shrug. "Hurts."

Elyza laughed. "Hurts?" She mimicked Alicia. "You took a fucking bullet to the stomach, Lil' Coon! My mum says you should have died. She says its a miracle you are still here. I told her you're too damn stubborn to die." She laughed once more, and then her face grew serious.

"Truth is..." She continued. "You're too _strong_ to die... Too _brave_... Too _good_."

Alicia felt herself blushing, but Elyza pressed on. "That bullet was meant for me." She said softly, her bright blue eyes fixed on Alicia's. "If you had stayed behind me like I'd asked..."

The air between them was heavy, thick with tension. Alicia was struggling to breathe. It was too much... She had to lighten the mood. "Is this an 'I told you so?'" She laughed.

"No." Elyza answered, her voice soft and as serious as Alicia had ever heard it. "It's a 'thank you.'"

She was staring down at Alicia with an intensity Alicia had never seen in her blazing eyes before. Alicia's cheeks burned under the gaze. The fire in her belly seemed to be spreading, consuming her. The heat filled her chest, the palms of her hands, the tips of her fingers. Alicia knew it wasn't possible, but it felt like if she held Elyza's gaze a moment longer her very skin might burst into flame. But when she tried to look away, Elyza did something she had never done before. She reached out and gently wrapped her palm around the back of Alicia's head, weaving her fingers into her hair as she leaned in to kiss her.

The kiss was tender, almost tentative. And now Alicia really could not breathe. She was sinking. She was drowning. And it was wonderful.

Then something strange happened. It was like a flash of lightning behind her eyelids, gone as suddenly as it had come. Alicia's eyes were closed. She could feel Elyza's fingers in her hair, her lips moving cautiously against her own. And yet, her eyes were open. She was sitting in a bright forest, surrounded by a thousand shades of green and brown. She could smell pine and rain and burning wood in the crisp air. A small fire smoldered beside her and on the opposite side of it Elyza lay asleep on the mossy earth. Alicia watched Elyza dream as she slept, admiring her beauty. Only... Alicia suddenly realized... This girl wasn't _Elyza._ She was someone else. And Alicia wasn't... _Alicia_. She, too, was someone else. Someone she knew more deeply than she knew herself. Someone she didn't know at all.

Suddenly Elyza's lips pulled away from Alicia's and the forest around her instantly dissolved. But the image lingered in her mind. It was clearer than a dream. It was like a memory. A memory long forgotten. Alicia's heart was racing. Her head was swimming. She opened her eyes to see Elyza blinking at her, her face a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a vulnerable insecurity Alicia had never seen in her before. She looked like she was waiting for Alicia's reaction, as if it only just crossed her mind that maybe she should have asked for Alicia's permission before kissing her. But the surprise and confusion in her eyes made Alicia wonder if Elyza had seen the forest too, or perhaps something else.

Alicia did not know what had just happened. But her blood was pounding in her ears and her lips were still tingling with the ghost of Elyza's touch. And she was hungry, so hungry, for more. Ignoring the pain in her stomach, she reached out an arm and pulled Elyza back towards her until their lips met again.

Immediately Elyza's previous hesitancy dissolved as she melted into Alicia. What had begun as a tender, tentative kiss became something deep, something desperate. Alicia breathed her in, unable to contain her own desire.

And suddenly she was in a massive tent standing so close to Elyza that she could feel the heat of her body in the air between them. No... It wasn't Elyza. It _was._ But it _wasn't._ And she wasn't Alicia. She _was._ But she _wasn't_. And she was staring at this girl's lips, the fear pulsing in her blood more powerful than anything she could ever remember feeling. And yet, the longing in her chest was even more powerful still. Heart pounding, she finally reached out and closed the tiny distance between them until their lips met ever so gently. And the world spun around her as, to her amazement, the girl kissed her back.

Then suddenly the tent dissolved into a dim room and there were people all around her but the only one she saw was the girl with paint around her eyes and braids in her golden hair, kneeling before her. And then she was in another room and _she_ was the one kneeling on the stone floor and her fingers tingled as the girl took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.

And then she was sitting beside the girl watching the candlelight play in her wild, golden hair. And she was trying to hide the butterflies in her stomach as the girl pulled a black-smudged rag off her wounded hand and tenderly wrapped it in another. And the girl's loose, flowing, blue nightgown was so distracting that she struggled to keep her gaze on the equally blue eyes before her.

Image after image swam before Alicia's eyelids. Vaguely she was still aware of Elyza's hungry lips on her own. She could still feel the infirmary bed solid, and real beneath her. But it was like Elyza's fingers running through her hair, her breath in her lungs, the gentle nip of her teeth on Alicia's bottom lip... These were all a waking dream. Because Alicia was in the room with Elyza, but she wasn't. She was standing in another room, staring at a drawing of herself, or really of someone else who looked just like her but was not her. And the girl who was Elyza and wasn't Elyza was standing beside her, black charcoal on her fingertips and crimson in her cheeks.

And then she was in another room, standing so close to the girl who was not Elyza that once again she could not breathe. They were clasping forearms and Alicia wanted so badly to pull her closer, to close the distance between them. But she held her ground, waiting. Because she knew deep down that it was not up to her. She knew this girl was not hers to hold. And she might never be. And Alicia ached deep inside. But that was alright. Because Alicia was happy just to be near her. To watch the patterns of light playing on her cheeks and in her hair and lingering in her eyes. And Alicia would wait a hundred lifetimes and never close the gap between them because she knew it was somehow her fault the gap was there. And the gap was not hers to close.

And Alicia's throat was closing and she could feel the burning in her eyes and she knew that this was an indefinite goodbye. And Alicia ached because the gap was still there between them and she was powerless to close it. And Alicia's breathing stopped as the girl suddenly stepped into the gap between them and closed it for her. And the girl's tender kiss was forgiveness and acceptance and understanding. And Alicia pulled away because it was everything she wanted. And it was everything she knew she did not deserve.

And she studied the girl's eyes as the tears welled and fell from her own. Because she needed to be sure that this was real. Because this girl was everything she wanted. And everything she could never deserve.

And the girl stepped into the gap between them a second time and her lips smashed into Alicia's hungrily. And this kiss was longing and desperation and hunger and need. And Alicia pulled the girl into her and the girl pulled Alicia back into her. And the hunger was deep within Alicia. Deeper than her flesh and her organs and her bones. The longing was in her very core, her very soul. And it was consuming her. And she broke the kiss and dropped onto the edge of a bed and looked at the girl with pleading in her eyes. And she waited. And she would wait a hundred lifetimes. Because this was everything that Alicia wanted and everything she feared she did not deserve.

And then she was laying in a warm bed, enveloped in soft furs. And a shiver ran down her bare spine as the girl traced her fingertips along her back. And she smiled and closed her eyes and wished this moment could last a hundred lifetimes. Because this girl beside her was everything she had always wanted. And everything she would ever want. And it was everything she had always thought she could never deserve. And it was everything she finally let herself have.

Alicia felt Elyza's lips pull away and she opened her eyes feeling utterly dazed. She was in the infirmary bed again. And she felt weird. _So weird_. And she felt right. _So right_. And she was Alicia. And she was someone else. And there before her, blinking and smiling, and impossibly beautiful, was the girl who was Elyza and who was someone else. Someone Alicia had never met before. And someone Alicia had always known.

And her fingers trembled as she reached out to touch the girl's cheek. Because she needed to know that this was real. Because this girl was all she had ever wanted and all she would ever want.

And the name formed on her lips like a prayer forgotten, "Clarke."

And the girl who was Elyza and the girl who was Clarke stared back at her with eyes the color of the ocean and the color of the sky. And a tear rolled down her smiling face as she reached out with her own trembling fingertips to touch Alicia's cheek.

"Lexa." Was all she said. And the name fell on Alicia's ears like a prayer remembered.

And she suddenly realized that it didn't matter if she was Alicia or if she was Lexa. Because she was _both._ She had always been, and she would always be, _both._ And both were right. And it didn't matter if the girl standing before her was Elyza or if she was Clarke. Because Alicia loved them both. She always had. And she always would.

And she wanted to tell her so. But she knew those three words could never be enough. She could spend a hundred lifetimes reciting them and still never come close to explaining how intensely she loved her... how deeply she needed her... how desperately she wanted her... how she would spend a hundred lifetimes and then a hundred more searching for her.

And so she just gave the girl a small smirk. "I told you I would find you."

And the girl let out a laugh that was freedom and joy and comfort and safety and belonging and _home_.

"If I remember right..." She said with her own sassy smirk. " _I_ found _you,_ Lil' Coon."

"We found each other." She answered. "We always will."


End file.
